Israel and its biggest ally, the U.S., were forced to watch from the sidelines as several world leaders were expected to formally recognize an independent State of Palestine on Monday.
The decision would come at a summit convened by France and Saudi Arabia, a move Israel says already claimed will undermine the prospects of a peaceful ending to the war in Gaza.
While the summit in New York could boost the morale of Palestinians, it is not expected to deliver change on the ground, where the most far-right government in Israel's history has declared there will be no Palestinian state as it pushes on with its fight against militant group Hamas.
The two-state solution was the bedrock of the U.S.-backed peace process ushered in by the 1993 Oslo Accords. The process suffered heavy pushback from both sides and has all but died.
Israel and the United States will boycott the summit, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said, describing the event as a "circus."
