France, 14 other countries urge recognition of Palestinian state

PARIS: France and 14 other Western nations called on countries worldwide to move to recognize a Palestinian state, France’s top diplomat said Wednesday. The foreign ministers of 15 countries late Tuesday issued a joint statement following a conference in New York, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, aimed at reviving a two-state solution between Zionists and the Palestinians. “In New York, together with 14 other countries, France is issuing a collective appeal: we express our desire to recognize the State of Palestine and invite those who have not yet done so to join us,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot wrote on X.

President Emmanuel Macron announced last week he would formally recognize Palestinian statehood in September, provoking strong opposition from Zionist entity and the United States. France is hoping to build a momentum around the formal recognition of a Palestinian state. On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the UK will formally recognize the State of Palestine in September unless Zionist entity takes various “substantive steps”, including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza.

Starmer’s move, paired with Paris, would make the two European allies the first G7 nations to do so. In the statement, 15 nations including Spain, Norway, and Finland affirmed their “unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-state solution.” Nine of the signatories which have not yet recognized the Palestinian state expressed “the willingness or the positive consideration of their countries” to do so, including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

Hamas urged to disarm

Meanwhile, Arab countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt joined calls for Hamas to disarm and end its rule of Gaza, in a bid to end the devastating war in the Palestinian territory. Seventeen countries plus the European Union and Arab League threw their weight behind a seven-page text agreed at a United Nations conference on reviving the two-state solution for Zionists and the Palestinians.

“In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State,” said the declaration. It followed a call Monday by the Palestinian delegation at the United Nations for both Zionists and Hamas to leave Gaza, allowing the Palestinian Authority to administer the coastal territory. The text also condemned the deadly October 7, 2023 attacks against Zionist entity, something the UN General Assembly has yet to do.

France, which co-chaired the conference with Saudi Arabia, called the declaration “both historic and unprecedented.” “For the first time, Arab countries and those in the Middle East condemn Hamas, condemn October 7, call for the disarmament of Hamas, call for its exclusion from Palestinian governance, and clearly express their intention to normalize relations with Zionist entity in the future,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot. The text, co-signed by France, Britain and Canada among other western nations, also called for the possible deployment of foreign forces to stabilize Gaza after the end of hostilities. Zionist entity and its ally the United States did not take part in the meeting.

21 months of war

The document was issued at the second day of the conference in New York at which Britain announced it may recognize a Palestinian state in September. For decades, most of the global body’s members have supported a two-state solution with Zionist entity and a Palestinian state existing side-by-side. But after more than 21 months of war in Gaza, the ongoing expansion of settlements in the West Bank, and Zionist officials declaring designs to annex occupied territory, it is feared a Palestinian state could become geographically impossible.

The current war in Gaza started after the Hamas attacks on Zionist entity, in which more than 1,200 people were killed. Zionist entity responded with large-scale military action that has claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives and destroyed most infrastructure in the enclave. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the meeting Monday “the two-state solution is farther than ever before.”

In a statement issued late Tuesday, 15 Western nations including France and Spain, affirmed their “unwavering support to the vision of the two-state solution.” Among the signatories, nine that have not yet recognized a Palestinian state expressed “willingness or positive consideration of their countries” to do so: Andorra, Australia, Canada, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Portugal, and San Marino.- AFP

- Source from KuwaitTimes.Com