France and Saudi Arabia will convene dozens of world leaders on Monday to rally support for a two-state solution, with several of them expected to formally recognize a Palestinian state — a move that could draw harsh Israeli and US responses.
Israel and the United States will boycott the summit, said Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon, describing the event as a “circus.” “We don’t think it’s helpful. We think it’s actually rewarding terrorism,” he told reporters on Thursday.
The UK, Canada, Portugal and Australia all announced on Sunday that they formally recognized a State of Palestine, with six more countries set to follow suit on Monday, ahead of world leaders’ addresses to the UN General Assembly.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the recognitions as well as the idea of Palestinian statehood, and vowed to respond upon his return from the UN. Some government ministers are pushing Israel to annex part of the West Bank in response.
Saudi Arabia has reportedly warned that West Bank annexation would have “major implications.” The UAE, with which Israel has relations, has also called annexation a “red line.”
A US State Department spokesperson called the recognitions “performative,” telling AFP on condition of anonymity: “Our focus remains on serious diplomacy, not performative gestures. Our priorities are clear: the release of the hostages, the security of Israel, and peace and prosperity for the entire region that is only possible free from Hamas.”
The US administration has also warned of possible consequences for those who take measures against Israel, including against France, whose president, Emmanuel Macron, is hosting the New York summit. Jerusalem is also considering specific bilateral measures against Paris, Israeli officials have said.
The summit follows Israel’s launch of a ground offensive in Gaza City and amid few prospects for a ceasefire nearly two years into the war in Gaza, which was triggered by the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
The Western countries that are recognizing a Palestinian state have cited a growing sense of urgency to act now before the idea of a two-state solution vanishes forever. Israel has decried the pronouncements as a “prize for terror” following the October 7 attack, and with Hamas still holding Israeli hostages.
The General Assembly endorsed a seven-page declaration this month outlining “tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps” toward a two-state solution, while also condemning Hamas and calling on it to surrender and disarm.
Those efforts drew immediate rebukes from Israel and the United States.
“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,” France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told reporters on 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 driven the move, hoping that Macron’s announcement in July that he would recognize a Palestinian state would give greater momentum to a movement hitherto dominated by smaller nations that are generally more critical of Israel.
Some of the countries recognizing a Palestinian state have said there would be conditions, and others have said normalization of diplomatic ties would be phased and dependent on how the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority advances in its promises to reform.
Israel has said it has no confidence in the 89-year-old Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas keeping pledges to reform and modernize as outlined in a letter to Macron earlier this year.
Abbas and dozens of Palestinian officials will not attend the conference in person. The US, a staunch Israeli ally, refused to issue visas to them, and Abbas is due to appear via video.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is not attending despite co-hosting the event. The General Assembly agreed on Friday by consensus, without a vote, that he could appear via video at Monday’s meeting.
“The world is saying out loud a Palestinian state, and we need to materialise it. Now they need to show what these measures are,” Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin told reporters on Sunday.
AFP contributed to this report.