France Urges EU to Pressure Israel on Two-State Solution Amidst Escalating Gaza Conflict

On Monday, France called upon the European Union to exert pressure on Israel to accept a two-state solution with the Palestinians. This latest escalation from Paris reflects its ongoing efforts to resolve the devastating conflict in Gaza, coming just days after its pledge to recognize the State of Palestine.

France's Diplomatic Push for a Political Solution

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told journalists at the United Nations headquarters that there is international consensus that the time has come for a political resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, he emphasized that global powers need to translate words into action. Barrot stated, "The European Commission, on behalf of the European Union, must express its expectations, and demonstrate the means by which we can motivate the Israeli government to listen to this call."

Barrot's remarks came on the first day of a high-level meeting at the United Nations focused on the two-state solution for the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. The conference, which was postponed from June and downgraded to a ministerial level, is being held in New York amidst escalating international condemnation of Israel's handling of the war in Gaza. Both Israel and its closest ally, the United States, declined to participate in the meeting, which Barrot said was attended by representatives from 125 countries, including 50 ministers.

Barrot clarified that the conference's objective is to "reverse the prevailing trend in the region, which is the continuous fading of the two-state solution, long the only solution capable of achieving peace and security in the region."

The French official called on the European Commission to demand that Israel unfreeze approximately 2 billion euros, which he asserts the Israeli government owes to the Palestinian Authority. He also urged an end to the construction of settlements in the West Bank, which threatens the territorial integrity of a future Palestinian state, and the cessation of the "militarized" food delivery system in Gaza, supported by the American Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has led to hundreds of deaths.

EU Support and Israeli-US Rejection

Dubravka Šuica, the EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean, stated during the meeting that the European Union is considering imposing new sanctions. She stressed the "necessity" for Israel to transfer the funds owed to the Palestinians and allow food and other aid deliveries to Gaza. She added that the EU has been a long-term partner in supporting Palestinian Authority reforms and welcomed the recent announcement of presidential and legislative elections within a year across all Palestinian territories.

"We are preventing the financial collapse of the Palestinian Authority," she said, noting that the EU is supporting it with 161.6 billion euros for the next three years.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the two-state solution for "national and security reasons." The United States echoed this stance, describing the conference on Monday as "unproductive and ill-timed."

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated in a release, "The United States will not participate in this affront, but will continue to lead realistic efforts to end the fighting and achieve lasting peace."

She added, "Our focus is on serious diplomacy, not on contrived conferences designed to give a false appearance of importance."

Prior to the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would recognize the State of Palestine during the annual meeting of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in September.