DUBAI/LONDON: The first day of the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine sent a unified message: the path toward Palestinian statehood is taking shape, with international actors working to chart what France’s foreign minister described as an “irreversible political path” to a two-state solution.
Co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France at the UN from July 28 to 30, the conference seeks to revive global momentum around Palestinian recognition — momentum that has waned amid Israel’s military campaign in Gaza triggered by the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.
“This is a historic stage that reflects growing international consensus,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a near-capacity hall on Monday, adding that the gathering aims to shift the international atmosphere decisively toward a two-state solution.
“This is not simply a political position. Rather, this is a deeply entrenched belief that an independent Palestinian state is the true keys to peace,” which he said he envisioned in the form of the Arab Peace Initiative, presented by Saudi Arabia and adopted by the Arab League in Beirut in 2002.
The conference comes days after French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to officially recognize the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September — a move that would make France the first G7 country to do so.
