Latest news with #PalestinianQuestion
Arab News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
UN two-state conference co-chairs urge renewed push for Palestinian state amid regional escalation
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and France, co-chairs of the United Nations Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Question, joined with the chairs of the conference's working groups in issuing a joint statement on Tuesday expressing 'deep concern' over recent developments in the region, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The statement said the latest escalation had 'necessitated the suspension' of the high-level conference, underscoring 'the validity of warnings about the fragility of the situation' and the urgent need to 'restore calm, respect international law, and strengthen diplomatic action.' Despite the setback, the group reaffirmed their 'full commitment to the conference's objectives' and pledged to 'ensure the continuity of its work and the achievement of its goals,' SPA added. They added that 'the co-chairs of the working groups will announce the date of the conference's roundtables soon,' with the aim of generating 'clear and coordinated international commitments' to advance the implementation of a two-state solution. 'In these critical circumstances,' the statement continued, 'we must redouble our efforts calling for respect for international law and the sovereignty of states, and to promote peace, freedom, and dignity for all peoples of the region.' The group also reiterated its 'unwavering support for all efforts aimed at ending the war in Gaza' and called for a 'just and sustainable settlement of the Palestinian issue,' affirming that regional stability and security hinge on a lasting peace.
Arab News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Two-state solution summit should be bold and daring
When France and Saudi Arabia co-chair the International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Question and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in New York later this month, it might be the last opportunity for the international community to salvage a peace agreement along these lines. Beyond making a bold statement about its commitment to bringing this conflict to a peaceful end, it must send a message, in no uncertain terms, that it will not tolerate any attempts to block such a solution. The wording of the invitation to the willing participants reflects a determination to make this gathering count, by stating that 'the conference is intended to serve as a point of no return, paving the way for ending the occupation and promoting a permanent settlement based on the two-state solution.' But to be successful, it must be followed by courageous actions. To begin with, France, the UK and other EU members that have not done so already should recognize Palestinian statehood. This would be a long overdue but necessary acknowledgement that recognizing Palestinian statehood is not conditional on the Palestinian leadership succumbing to any demand for concessions by Israel. Such recognition will remove a crucial aspect of the asymmetry between the two protagonists in one of the longest-running conflicts in modern history. It will ensure that all who live in historical Palestine enjoy the same human, political and civil rights and are capable of fulfilling their national aspirations and individual potential, as was already envisaged in UN Resolution 181 of 1947, better known as the Partition Plan. It is of immense significance that this conference will be co-chaired by Saudi-Arabia and France, representing a unique cooperation. It brings together a leading regional force that, in 2002, initiated the most promising peace plan that could have put this conflict behind us, had it not been rejected by Israel, and a major European force that is also a permanent member of the UN Security Council. This must have enough weight, together with the other high-level participants, to encourage the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships to understand that it is high time for them to move forward along the route to a two-state solution deal. There are many out there who are skeptical that the two-state solution is still possible and who suspect that such a conference is either a naive attempt or simply lip service to bringing about a peace that will never materialize. Both views are misplaced and unhelpful, not because a two-state solution is a panacea by itself, but because, among all possible alternatives, it is still the most viable answer, although it does need to be adjusted to reflect changing circumstances since the Oslo process collapsed. Most promising is a confederation model that is, in principle, a two-state solution in a one-state reality, which best reflects the current state of affairs. France, the UK and EU members that have not done so already should recognize Palestinian statehood. Yossi Mekelberg The alternative to a two-state solution is to once more let the current situation drag on and risk even worse consequences than the world has witnessed over the last 20 months, for both peoples, with far-reaching implications for the region and beyond. There are also three possible models of a one-state solution — and they are all either unattractive or unviable. The ultrareligious-nationalists in Israel aspire to a single state in which the West Bank and Gaza are annexed by Israel and as many Palestinians as possible are 'encouraged' to leave to ensure an absolute Jewish majority in historic Palestine, possibly resulting in another Nakba. For Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the one-state solution is one in which there is no place for an Israeli state — and their brand of Islamism would hardly leave room for a tolerant state for either Israelis or Palestinians. The third version of a one-state solution is one of equal rights for all its citizens, Israelis and Palestinians alike. Nevertheless, as much as this is, on the face of it, a commendable vision of both communities putting behind them many decades of conflict and bloodshed and finding a way to peacefully coexist under one system of governance and one constitution, sharing a sentiment of a common future and destiny, it is no more than pleasant fantasy. There is no modality for such a rapid transformation and past experiences, such as those of Yugoslavia, Cyprus and even Czechoslovakia, have ended in separation, sometimes accompanied by bloodshed. The conference must see itself as possibly a last-chance saloon for advancing the cause of the two-state solution. Yossi Mekelberg In order for these ideas, which range between inevitable disaster and the utopian, to be prevented from taking hold of the Israeli-Palestinian discourse, the conference in New York must see itself as possibly a last-chance saloon for advancing the cause of the two-state solution. Hence, it must take concrete measures to initiate a peace process by setting a tight timeline and milestones on the way to establishing an independent Palestinian state along the approximate lines of the 1967 borders. If such a framework is introduced — with incentives for both sides to adhere to it and severe consequences if they do not — there is a good chance for a new momentum toward peace to emerge out of this international gathering. Moreover, if, by the time the delegates of the conference convene, a new ceasefire deal is not concluded, the first message from the conference must be a demand from the UN Security Council to pass a resolution to this effect. It must be one that will also see the release of the hostages and allow unlimited humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, as a first step toward the reconstruction of the Strip and the rehabilitation of the Palestinian people and their society, along a path toward a comprehensive peace agreement. It is true that the main responsibility for resolving the conflict still rests with the two parties themselves. And it was a previous US secretary of state who said, following the collapse of his peace initiative in 2014, that 'the United States cannot want peace more than the parties to the conflict.' Much water has flowed down the Jordan river since then, but the sentiment is still correct. Yet, collectively, the international community has the ability to use its levers of power to make both sides understand that it is in their interest to bring about peace — and, should either side deliberately derail the peace process, to make them accountable. This French-Saudi initiative to convene a conference on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could not be timelier, despite and maybe because it is taking place at the lowest and most volatile and tragic point in relations between the two main antagonists. This should serve as enough of an impetus not to fail again, as the price of failure, playing out on our screens every single day, is intolerable for those who live with it and unforgivable for those who do not stop it.
Straits Times
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Russia tells UN West must stop arming Ukraine during any ceasefire
Vassily Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation gives an statement during a Security Council about the Middle East situation, including the Palestinian Question at United nations Headquarters in New York City, U.S., January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/ File Photo UNITED NATIONS - Russia is prepared to consider a ceasefire in Ukraine to pave the way for a lasting settlement, but during any truce Moscow wants Western states to stop arming Kyiv and for Ukraine to stop mobilising troops, Russia's U.N. ambassador said on Friday. However, Vassily Nebenzia told the U.N. Security Council that a simple ceasefire was not enough to end Moscow's more than three-year war in Ukraine. "To achieve a sustainable and lasting settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, we need to address its root causes," Nebenzia said. "What we're proposing is a second round of talks in Istanbul this coming Monday ... where we can exchange memoranda about both parties' approaches to the negotiations process." The United States wants Russia to agree to a comprehensive 30-day land, air, sea and critical infrastructure ceasefire. A first round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine on May 16 failed to yield a truce deal. A U.S. diplomat told the Security Council on Friday: "We share the concern expressed by other members of this council that Russia could be uninterested in peace and instead bent on achieving a military victory." Moscow initially said its combat mission was to "disarm" Ukraine so it could not be a threat to Russia, and "denazify" it by rooting out leaders it characterized as nationalists. Western countries believe Russia's true initial aims were to defeat Ukraine's military and overthrow its pro-Western government. "We will continue fighting for as long as that's necessary - no threats to our borders, no anti-Russian, neo-Nazi education in neighbouring countries. We won't allow for any of that to happen," Nebenzia said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Jordan News
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Jordan News
UN Security Council to Hold Session on the Palestinian Issue Today - Jordan News
The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to hold its quarterly open session today on "The Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question," followed by closed consultations. اضافة اعلان The session will be chaired by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres will deliver a comprehensive briefing on the situation in the Middle East, with a particular focus on the two-state solution. — (Petra)
Times of Oman
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
UN Security Council discusses situation in the Middle East
New York: The UN Security Council held its regular monthly briefing and closed consultations on "The Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question." Addressing the meeting, Permanent Representative of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, asserted that Israel's strategy in the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and the broader West Bank is clear, which is to eradicate the Palestinian demographic presence and ultimately erase Palestinian geography. Riyad emphasised that that the conflict cannot be resolved through military means, but only through a political solution. He underscored that the only way forward is to uphold the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and ensure its full implementation in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2735, while also halting the escalation and aggression in the West Bank. In turn, Ambassador Amar Bendjama, Algeria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, stated that the Israeli occupation has killed approximately 18,000 children in the Gaza Strip, and this demands an independent investigation. He emphasised the importance of fully implementing the ceasefire agreement, stressing that the ceasefire must be upheld in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2735. He further added that reconstruction efforts in Gaza require a comprehensive plan to ensure the Palestinian people can remain on their land. Bendjama noted that the occupation has adopted a scorched-earth policy in Gaza and is now extending its aggression to the West Bank. He condemned the recent decision by the Israeli occupation to seize $90 million in Palestinian tax revenues, asserting that weakening the Palestinian Authority is a dangerous path that threatens the very foundation of the Palestinian national project.
