Key Facts
• International conference on “Two-State Solution” begins July 28 in New York.
• France and Saudi Arabia co-host the two-day event.
• French President Macron announced plans to recognize Palestine as a state on July 24.
• Macron to formalize recognition at the UN General Assembly in September.
• Israel and the U.S. strongly oppose Palestine’s state recognition.
• Gaza faces a worsening humanitarian crisis amid ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
• Macron criticized Israel’s Gaza blockade as “shameful” in May 2025.
• UK halted free trade agreement talks with Israel in May 2025.
• Canada, Norway, and others imposed sanctions on Israeli far-right ministers in June 2025.
• Israel’s West Bank settlements reached record numbers in 2024.
• Israeli PM Netanyahu condemned state recognition as “rewarding terrorism.”
• U.S. and Germany unlikely to follow France’s lead due to ties with Israel.
• Internal Palestinian divisions hinder unified negotiations for statehood.
Summary
An international conference on the Israeli-Palestinian “Two-State Solution” will take place in New York on July 28-29, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia. French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to recognize Palestine as a state, a move he plans to formalize at the UN General Assembly in September. This marks the first such recognition by a G7 nation, but it faces strong opposition from Israel and the U.S. The conference occurs amid escalating violence in Gaza and a deepening humanitarian crisis. Macron’s stance aims to boost peace efforts, but internal Palestinian divisions and Israel’s resistance complicate progress. Other G7 nations are unlikely to follow France’s lead, prioritizing relations with Israel. The outcome of the conference remains uncertain.
