In a significant move, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Friday to support a two-state solution to the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict. The resolution calls on Israel to commit to establishing a Palestinian state, a stance that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly opposed. This nonbinding resolution, known as the “New York Declaration,” was approved with a vote tally of 142 in favor, 10 against, and 12 abstentions.
In the hours leading up to the vote, Prime Minister Netanyahu made his position clear by stating, “There will be no Palestinian state.” During a signing ceremony for an agreement to expand settlements that will further divide the West Bank—territory that Palestinians assert must be included in their future state—Netanyahu declared, “This place belongs to us.” His comments underscore the ongoing tensions surrounding the two-state solution.
The initiative for this resolution was spearheaded by France and Saudi Arabia, who co-chaired a high-level conference in July to discuss the implementation of a two-state solution. The issue of the Israel-Palestinian conflict is anticipated to dominate discussions among world leaders at the upcoming General Assembly session starting on September 22. The Palestinians are hopeful that this vote will encourage at least 10 additional countries to officially recognize the state of Palestine, joining the ranks of over 145 countries that have already done so.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the U.N., expressed that the resolution reflects “the yearning of almost everyone in the international community to open the door for peace.” He invited parties that persist in pursuing violence and destruction to heed the “sound of reason” and consider peaceful resolutions to the conflict. His remarks were aimed at highlighting the urgency for a constructive dialogue.
In contrast, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador, Danny Danon, dismissed the resolution as mere “theater,” claiming that it serves only to benefit Hamas. He criticized the declaration as a “one-sided” gesture that diminishes the credibility of the General Assembly, suggesting that it does not contribute to peace efforts.
The United States, a staunch ally of Israel, reaffirmed its opposition to both the New York Declaration and the General Assembly resolution endorsing the two-state solution. U.S. Mission counselor Morgan Ortagus described the resolution as “another misguided and ill-timed publicity stunt” that undermines serious diplomatic initiatives aimed at resolving the conflict, labeling it a “gift to Hamas.”
The declaration notably condemns the attacks carried out by Hamas against civilians in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, marking a rare moment of condemnation from Arab nations towards Hamas. The militants are reported to have killed approximately 1,200 individuals, primarily Israeli civilians, and taken around 250 hostages. Of these, 48 remain unaccounted for, with about 20 believed to still be alive.
Additionally, the declaration critiques Israel’s military actions against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza, as well as the “siege and starvation” that have led to a humanitarian catastrophe. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel’s offensive against Hamas has resulted in over 64,000 Palestinian deaths, although the Ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
The New York Declaration envisions the Palestinian Authority overseeing all Palestinian territories, with an immediate establishment of a transitional administrative committee following a ceasefire in Gaza. It outlines that Hamas must relinquish its control and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority.
The declaration also calls for the deployment of a “temporary international stabilization mission” under U.N. auspices to protect Palestinian civilians and facilitate the transfer of security to the Palestinian Authority. This mission would be tasked with monitoring ceasefire agreements and ensuring security guarantees for both Palestine and Israel.
Moreover, the resolution encourages nations to recognize the state of Palestine, labeling such recognition as “an essential and indispensable component of achieving the two-state solution.” It further warns that “illegal unilateral actions” pose an existential threat to the realization of an independent Palestinian state, clearly directed at Israel without naming it explicitly.
