If the French hosts indeed endorse the trope that “we can not want peace more than the parties themselves”, and, in view of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s furious denunciation of the conference, and clear preference of creeping annexation over Palestinian statehood, one wonders why Paris has gone to the trouble of convening this meeting at all.
Lauder said. “Both Israelis and Palestinians have heard the countless worldwide demands to return to the negotiating table and both the Israelis and the Palestinians are fully aware that a two-state solution is the only viable option for a lasting peace”.
The summit, which was held without leaders from either side of the conflict, pushed for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
“Singapore also urges all sides to refrain from unilateral actions that would change the status quo, in order to achieve a just, lasting, and comprehensive solution that is in the long-term interest of Israel, Palestine and the Middle East as a whole”.
Such a step would be a historic break with U.S. policy, and with most of the worldwide community, over the status of Jerusalem, also claimed by the Palestinians as capital of their future state, an issue to be settled by negotiation.
“We did what was necessary to have a balanced resolution”, he said.
“It will not be an easy task to implement all of this because a new American administration takes office these days”.
A close associate of Israel’s prime minister says the presidency of Donald Trump could be a chance for the Palestinians to return to peace negotiations with more “realistic” expectations.
The position adopted by Paris Conference and statement of the French Minister are reflective of the will of global community that has passed hundreds of resolutions aimed at just and peaceful resolution of the Middle East conflict.
While the goal of the conference was to warn Trump about the consequences of too closely embracing Israel, it refrained from criticising his suggestion that he will move the United States embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, even though the overwhelming majority of the delegates spoke to oppose the move. “We communicated directly with the President’s office‚” Van Damme said. However, the global community has to move fast in view of accelerated settlement-building activity by Israel which, if allowed to continue for another year or so, will not leave a contiguous piece of land of adequate size for a viable Palestinian state. In reality it would seem that the Palestinians were an after thought and a desperate attempt to cover-up a pro-Israeli propaganda junket trip.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited the Vatican Saturday before inaugurating his country’s new embassy to the Holy See, where he met with Pope Francis for a discussion focused largely on peace efforts in the Middle East.
The appointment called on the worldwide community to continue the work of promoting a negotiation, which can only be developed by the parties involved.
