On Wednesday, the French Foreign Minister announced that France, along with 14 other Western nations, is urging countries globally to recognize a Palestinian state. This call to action followed a conference in New York, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, which focused on reviving the two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians.
The foreign ministers of the 15 nations issued a joint statement late Tuesday. In the statement, they expressed their desire to see the State of Palestine recognized and invited other nations to join them. This initiative is part of a broader effort to build momentum around the formal recognition of a Palestinian state.
President Emmanuel Macron had previously announced plans to formally recognize Palestinian statehood in September, a decision that has drawn opposition from both Israel and the United States. The UK also announced it would formally recognize the State of Palestine in September, contingent on certain actions by Israel.
The joint statement, signed by nations including Spain, Norway, and Finland, reaffirmed their commitment to the two-state solution. Nine of the signatories, which have not yet recognized the Palestinian state, indicated their willingness or consideration to do so, including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
Furthermore, seventeen countries, along with the European Union and the Arab League, joined calls for Hamas to disarm and end its rule of Gaza. This was part of a broader effort to bring an end to the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory.
5 Comments
KittyKat
About time! This calls for action is an essential step toward a lasting peace settlement.
BuggaBoom
Where are the borders? What are the security arrangements? This is vague and potentially dangerous.
Bermudez
This seems like a pre-emptive move, before any real progress is achieved.
Donatello
It would be very encouraging to see real progress towards peace.
Leonardo
It's easy for Western countries to declare recognition. They don't live with the realities on the ground.