The Kabul Tribune (KT) — France and Saudi Arabia will host dozens of world leaders on Monday to rally support for a two-state solution, with several countries expected to formally recognize a Palestinian state — a step likely to provoke sharp reactions from Israel and the United States.
Israel and Washington will boycott the summit, which takes place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Israel’s U.N. ambassador, Danny Danon, dismissed the gathering as a “circus.” “We don’t think it’s helpful. We think it’s actually rewarding terrorism,” he told reporters Thursday.
Israeli officials said the government is weighing retaliatory measures, including annexing part of the occupied West Bank and pursuing bilateral actions against Paris. The Biden administration has also warned of possible consequences for countries that move against Israel, including France, whose president, Emmanuel Macron, is hosting the New York summit.
The talks come as Israel intensifies its ground offensive in Gaza City, nearly two years after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, sparking the war in the Palestinian enclave. Violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank has also escalated, fueling urgency among world leaders who say the two-state vision risks disappearing forever.
Earlier this month, the U.N. General Assembly endorsed a seven-page declaration outlining “tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps” toward a two-state solution, while condemning Hamas and urging the group to disarm. Israel and the United States immediately rejected the move, calling it harmful and a publicity stunt.
“The New York Declaration is not a vague promise for the distant future, but rather a roadmap that begins with the top priorities: a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Thursday. “Once the ceasefire and release of hostages are achieved, the next step is a plan for the day after, which will be on the agenda for Monday’s discussions.”
France has led the push, betting that Macron’s July pledge to recognize a Palestinian state would energize a movement long driven by smaller nations often critical of Israel.
On Sunday, Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal all recognized a Palestinian state. France and at least five other countries are expected to follow suit on Monday. Some governments have attached conditions, saying diplomatic normalization would be phased and dependent on reforms by the Palestinian Authority.
Meanwhile in Gaza, Palestinians fled Israeli bombardments of Gaza City on Sunday, underscoring the human toll of the conflict even as leaders abroad debate its resolution.
