The Two-State Solution Remains an Illusion
Last Tuesday, July 22, Mr. Jean-Noël Barrot, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, in response to a question about his “virulent earlier reaction to the new ground offensive in Gaza”, said that France utterly condemns it and calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all the hostages held by Hamas, a Hamas that must be disarmed, and the completely unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. He criticized the Israeli Government’s militarized system of food distribution that has caused the deaths of nearly 1,000 civilians in the past few weeks.” Earlier, he had said that the operations of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation have led to a blood bath.
Interestingly, he also called for an end to any form of forced population displacement and any planned settlement activity in the West Bank, particularly the E1 project, 3,400 housing units, which threatens to cut the West Bank in two and so deliver a fatal blow to the two-state solution.”[i]
On Thursday, President Macron announced that France would recognize the State of Palestine, and he planned to make the formal announcement at the UN General Assembly in September in New York. This will make France the first G7 country to recognize Palestine. Mr. Macron’s statement was officially communicated to Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, the same day.
And on Friday, a joint statement issued by President Macron, Chancellor Merz, and Prime Minister Starmer called for an immediate Gaza ceasefire and unimpeded access to humanitarian aid. They firmly rejected all efforts to assert Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories.
Important cabinet ministers and a third of the British MPs have called on Mr. Starmer to recognize the state of Palestine. However, the Prime Minister, while saying that he is “unequivocal” in his support of recognizing a Palestinian state, believes this must be “part of a wider plan”.
Also last week, Italy and Germany dismissed the idea of recognition.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has strongly condemned President Macron’s move, saying that it “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became.”
“What he says doesn’t matter, doesn’t carry weight.” President Donald Trump has said in reaction to Macron’s decision.” A few days later, following Washington’s temporary pulling out of the hostage-ceasefire talks in Doha, Qatar, he also said that Hamas “didn’t want to make a deal” and would probably be “hunted down.”
On X, Secretary Rubio has said, “This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.”
Beijing and Moscow must be delighted.
At present, the State of Palestine is recognized as a sovereign state by 147 of the 193 member states of the UN. 11 EU member states recognize the State of Palestine, with France’s upcoming recognition, that number will rise to 12 out of 27.
In mid-June, France and Saudi Arabia were about to host a UN conference aimed at working towards a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. However, it was postponed following Israeli strikes on Iran. The conference starts today at the ministerial level in New York. Heads of state and government will then meet in either Paris or New York before the UN General Assembly.
It appears that President Macron’s recent initiatives aim to reassure the world, especially the countries of the Global South, that Europe, despite its measured criticism of the war in Gaza, remains committed to the two-state solution and opposes the constant loss of life and starvation in the Strip. These European initiatives also seek to mask the discrepancies between European policies on the war in Ukraine and the war in Gaza, now a large concentration camp. Yes, these are wars in two different regions, each with its own history and complexities, but the loss of life, destruction, and suffering are hardly different.
Would such initiatives change anything on the ground? No.
A recent Crisis Group statement titled “Open the Gates to Save a Starving Gaza” ended by saying that the “machinery of death” must be stopped, underlining the enormity of the challenge.[ii]
Against the latest flurry of diplomacy, Mr. Netanyahu’s right-wing government remains determined that all Palestinians be expelled from Gaza, a project endorsed by President Trump. Because both know that after 661 days of bloodshed, the war in Gaza has swept away any hope whatsoever of peaceful co-existence between the two peoples. The only question is “where would they go?” Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Trump must have some ideas. After all, in today’s world, there is little that money can’t buy. However, that would not be all.
Today, more than half a million Israeli settlers live in the “occupied West Bank”. Their numbers and settlements are growing, shrinking the territory hitherto seen as the core of a Palestinian state. As the growing expressions of concern over settler numbers and violence show, the remaining question is when the West Bank Palestinians will be told to leave the area “voluntarily”.
[i] https://basedoc.diplomatie.gouv.fr/vues/Kiosque/FranceDiplomatie/kiosque.php?type=baen
[ii] https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/east-mediterranean-mena/israelpalestine/open-gates-save-starving-gaza?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email