“We can’t wait any longer,” said French President Emmanuel Macron when France recognized Palestine as a state on Monday. Macron spoke at a UN conference that aimed to breathe new life into the two-state solution, a conference he himself had organized.
In the UN they already knew it in 1947. The British Mandate area Palestine had to be divided into a state for Palestinians and a state for Jews. Zionists celebrated the UN Decree at the time as a victory, Palestinians saw it as theft and the Arab world was faltering.
The attempt to give Jews their own, safe state after the Holocaust almost immediately led to war. Decades later, the conflict is still not resolved – several wars, countless terrorist attacks and indescribable suffering for Palestinians and Israelis despite.
After eighty years, the conversation in the UN was again about the future of Palestine and again about those two states. After eighty years, there is still no better way out from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict than the two-state solution, finds a large majority of the UN member states.
A number of Western countries grabbed the gathering to recognize Palestine as a state. The United Kingdom, Canada and Australia already did that on Sunday. France, Belgium and Luxembourg followed on Monday. The expectation is that a total of ten countries will recognize the Palestinian state this week. This brings the number of UN members who sees Palestine as a state at 151 of the 193 UN member states, 78 percent.
Twilight
Palestine is a state in a twilight zone. It may take diplomatic relations and delegates athletes to the Olympic Games, but the boundaries are not recognized. Recognition will not immediately mean anything in practice, but recognition does keep the idea of two states alive and is a response to Israeli siege of Gaza who, many countries, must stop immediately.
The heavy political work had been done for a long time before the UN meeting started. The countries that support the two -state solution previously prepared the New York Declaration in which they promise to make an effort to end the violence in Gaza and to work on a sustainable solution. On Monday it was mainly about political symbolism.
The conference was an initiative of France and Saudi Arabia. Macron was ahead of the meeting and more than exceeded the 5-minute limit for government leaders with his speech. The crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, did not think it was not worthwhile to be personally present and sent his Foreign Minister.
The President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, was sentenced by the US to a video message. The Trump government refused to give the Palestinian delegation a visa to travel to the UN this week.
“A state is a right,” said Secretary General António Guterres, “no reward.” Macron received a standing ovation from Palestinian diplomats when he expressed the recognition. “Given the historical involvement of my country in the Middle East, at peace between Israeli and Palestinians, I declare today that France recognizes the Palestinian state,” said Macron. France will only open an embassy after a cease-fire has been agreed and after Hamas released the hostages.
Attention to Palestinian matter important
Given the Israeli siege of Gaza, every attention to the future of the Palestinians is important and now there is also a outline for a two -state solution. But for the time being an independent Palestinian state is not feasible. In any case not with the current government of Benjamin Netanyahu, who is supported by Donald Trump in his resolute resistance.
Netanyahu condemned the recognition and said earlier that France and the UK help terrorists and end up on the wrong side of history. Ministers from his cabinet promptly called to annex the western Jordoever, Palestinian territory. The United Arab Emirates immediately called that “a red line.” By constantly establishing Jewish settlements in the area intended for Palestinians, Israel makes a future Palestinian state practically increasingly difficult. The settlement policy was convicted at the conference.
Netanyahu first wants to speak with President Trump this week before he will formally respond to the political signal of the UN. The conference was born by Israel and the United States. This week Trump also wants to talk to leaders of Arab countries about the conditions for an end of the Israeli siege of Gaza. Trump will address the UN general meeting this Tuesday.
The Netherlands does not (yet) recognize Palestine
The Netherlands did not proceed to recognizing Palestine, but explicitly supported the renewed attempt to breathe new life into the two -state solution. The Netherlands, Foreign Minister David van Weel (VVD) said, wants to keep the recognition in order to bring in later in consultation about the future of Palestine, after a cease-fire.
Van Weel, who spoke on behalf of the Netherlands at the conference, denied when asked that it is not yet recognizable a way to save Israel.
“I think Israel is not spared. And you have also seen the fierce reactions from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv: there is a threat of annexation of the West Bank. We find that absolutely not acceptable. I think the most important thing that is needed now, loose or not, is busy on Israel to start negotiations,” he said.
“A very clear signal is currently needed to Israel and to Hamas: Negotiations must now be made. There must now be a ceasefire. You have to go around the table. The hostages must be released and then we have to work on that two-state solution as quickly as possible.”
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