Rising support for Palestine dominates global summit

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UNITED NATIONS: France and Saudi Arabia will host dozens of world leaders in New York on Monday in a high-stakes bid to revive the long-stalled two-state solution, with a wave of countries preparing to formally recognise a Palestinian state as United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) marks its 80 years.

Britain, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Britain, extended recognition on Sunday, and diplomats say France and several others could officially follow suit during the summit, a shift that signals mounting international impatience with Israel’s war in Gaza and continued settlement expansion in the West Bank.

Israel and the United States have rejected the gathering outright. Israel’s U.N. ambassador Danny Danon dismissed it as a “circus” that “rewards terrorism,” while Israeli officials warned they may retaliate with moves to annex parts of the occupied West Bank or by targeting France with diplomatic measures. Washington has also cautioned of consequences for states that press ahead.

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The summit comes as Israel deepens its ground assault on Gaza City nearly two years after Hamas’ October 2023 attacks, with no ceasefire in sight and violence by Israeli settlers surging in the West Bank. Diplomats warn the window for a two-state outcome is closing fast.

Earlier this month, the U.N. General Assembly adopted a declaration calling for “tangible, timebound and irreversible steps” toward a Palestinian state, while also demanding Hamas surrender and disarm. Israel and the U.S. branded the declaration “a publicity stunt.”

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French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot argued otherwise: “The New York Declaration is not a vague promise. It is a roadmap that begins with a ceasefire, the release of hostages and unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza,” he said. The next step, he added, is to lay out a “day after” plan.

President Emmanuel Macron has been at the forefront of the push, signalling in July that France would recognise Palestine. Supporters hope his move will galvanise momentum beyond the smaller states that have so far led the charge.

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Recognition, however, may not be immediate or uniform. Some governments say they will link diplomatic ties to reforms by the Palestinian Authority, led by the 89-year-old President Mahmoud Abbas. Israel insists Abbas cannot deliver on promises of governance reform.

Abbas, denied a U.S. visa, will address the summit virtually alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who also opted not to attend in person.

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“The world is saying out loud: a Palestinian state,” Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin said Sunday. “Now it must show how to make that real.”