Saudi Arabia and France will host an international conference next month with United Nations backing, establishing an ambitious roadmap for Palestinian statehood with specific timelines and enforcement mechanisms that completely circumvent Israel's position on the matter.
In the wake of French President Emmanuel Macron's pro-Palestinian declarations, the New York conference scheduled for June represents an unprecedented diplomatic initiative – moving beyond mere recognition statements to establishing concrete objectives with implementation plans, including sanctions against parties who might obstruct the process.
The conference will feature roundtable discussions and formal sessions led by French and Saudi representatives under UN auspices, with the explicit purpose of crafting a framework to implement Palestinian statehood.
In their invitation to UN member states, the organizers stated that "the conference is intended to serve as a point of no return, paving the way for ending the occupation and promoting a permanent settlement based on the two-state solution."
The UN Secretary-General will deliver an address alongside various national representatives. The proceedings will culminate in a practical action document establishing binding commitments and definitive timelines. This approach marks a significant departure from previous diplomatic efforts that waited for Israeli-Palestinian bilateral engagement, as France and Saudi Arabia are now advancing their agenda regardless of Israel's participation.
The invitation distributes blame for violence and the October 7 attacks to "both sides," stating that "since October 7, there has been immense suffering of civilians on both sides, including the hostages and their families and the civilian population of Gaza. Meanwhile, settlement activities endanger the two-state solution, the only path to just peace."
How will this happen?
The Saudi-French initiative calls for UN sanctions against parties acting contrary to the conference's final document, effectively attempting to force Israel into a diplomatic process without its consent. "It is clear that the primary responsibility for resolving the conflict still rests with the parties, but the events of recent years prove that without strong international determination and involvement in ensuring their progress toward ending the conflict, it will escalate and peace will recede," the document continues.
The proposed solution demands a "rapid, time-limited, and irreversible" process "culminating in an independent and sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel." Under this framework, Israel would be required to make concessions without receiving recognition commitments from Palestinians, as the organizers maintain that such recognition can only follow statehood.
The invitation concludes by emphasizing that "the ultimate goal of the conference will be to realize the international consensus, mark a point of no return, and lay the foundations for the way forward by creating the environment required for a just and sustainable solution to the question of Palestine and the conflict. The purpose of this international conference will not be to 'revive' or 'relaunch' an endless process but to implement, once and for all, the two-state solution." Significantly, Israel is not identified as a necessary party to this imposed solution, and there are no stipulated Palestinian peace commitments as prerequisites.
