Israeli, Palestinian civil society meet in France as two-state solution dims

Civil society representatives from Israel and Palestine are gathering in France to champion the two-state solution, as Paris endeavors to maintain focus on the issue amid the Middle East war. This meeting, attended by foreign ministers and senior officials from numerous countries, marks one year since the UN-backed New York Declaration. That declaration outlined a path toward Palestinian statehood, leading about a dozen nations, including France, Britain, and Canada, to recognize a Palestinian state.

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Given the current situation in the region, marked by seemingly endless conflicts, too many civilian casualties and a cycle of violence, and in light of the stalled implementation of the Gaza ceasefire ... we believe this conference is now more essential and urgent than ever.

"Given the current situation in the region, marked by seemingly endless conflicts, too many civilian casualties and a cycle of violence, and in light of the stalled implementation of the Gaza ceasefire ... we believe this conference is now more essential and urgent than ever,” stated France's Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Thursday. The gathering is set to conclude with an eight-point “Call for Action.” This call will urge a permanent ceasefire, an end to settlement expansion, reconstruction in Gaza, governance reforms, and increased international support for civil society.

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The region continues to fracture. Gaza is devastated, Israel remains under threat. Settler terrorism, settlement expansion, and de facto annexation and threats to the Palestinian Authority continue to undermine the viability of a future Palestinian state.

The proposed action plan, seen by Reuters, highlights the escalating violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. It also underscores significant anger in many Western nations toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, particularly concerning its expansion of settlements, which diplomats believe undermines prospects for a Palestinian state. A particular concern is Israel’s plan for the E1 project east of Jerusalem, which would divide the West Bank and sever its connection to East Jerusalem, fragmenting territory crucial for a future Palestinian state. In response, Britain, Canada, France, and Norway recently imposed coordinated sanctions on Israeli networks involved in financing, enabling, and carrying out violence in the West Bank.

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Israelis and Palestinians alike remain trapped in fear, insecurity, and trauma. We return because, as the G7 convenes in Évian, this conflict risks once again being set aside. The window for a solution remains open; but it is narrowing.

Israel and the United States declined to attend the meeting. The Israeli ambassador was invited but will not participate, stating the conference "has nothing to do with promoting peace."

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The ambassador was invited but will not attend the conferen