We Should Join the French-Saudi Initiative

The campaign against Iran led to the postponement of the international conference for implementing the two-state solution, which was supposed to take place this week at the UN headquarters in New York. However, we must not allow those who seek to divert us from focusing on finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue to succeed in their request.

It is a joint initiative by Saudi Arabia and France, with the participation of dozens of other countries and international organizations, aimed at advancing practical steps to resolve the conflict and bloodshed. Israel is no longer part of the discourse because, from the perspective of its current government, the mere mention of the two-state solution poses a risk to its political survival.

The conference, born out of UN General Assembly Resolution 79/81 of December 2024, aims to promote recognition of a Palestinian state alongside the regional integration of Israel, reforms in Palestinian governance, and the exclusion of Hamas from any governing in Gaza. Eight working groups will convene to formulate concrete steps in each of these areas. But Israel will be absent from the table.

This absence reflects an increasingly deepening political isolation. The current Israeli government has chosen to cling to anti-diplomatic populism, to act in a hostile manner toward any peace initiative, and to ignore the fact that almost the entire global arena understands there is no effective way to end the conflict apart from via the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israel has deliberately chosen to stay on the sidelines, endure the consequences of isolation, and persist in its “conflict management” policy. October 7 proved the futility of this approach.

Moreover, the conflict is not only the problem of Israel and the Palestinians. Recent years have shown that the international community is being compelled to pay a steep cost in terms of internal instability, the spread of terrorism and violence, antisemitism, and growing extremism. The sense of international urgency is rising dramatically, and there is no intention to continue waiting for Israel to step away from its political stubbornness.

Israel’s friends around the world have repeatedly proven their commitment to its security, and the thwarting of missile attacks from Iran in conjunction with France, Britain, and countries in the region was but one example of this. They are incomparably more active than the Israeli government itself in trying to free the hostages in Gaza. Now, these countries are asking Israel to cooperate with them, conveying a clear message: if Israel does not join, they will proceed without its involvement.

And it is not only governments around the world that are taking action. To prepare for the conference in New York, another event took place in Paris, “The Paris Call for Peace, Security, and Recognition of Two States,” a civil conference in which representatives from Israeli and Palestinian civil society participated.

While the government persists in disregarding the voices of moderation and compromise, civil society is actively pursuing a different approach, understanding that the conflict cannot be resolved without continuous dialogue. Israel’s far-right government seeks to silence those moderate voices, but they continue to flourish, and in France they worked together to build the foundation for a better future.

It is beyond time for Netanyahu’s government to understand that recognizing a Palestinian state is no longer a question of “if” but rather of when and under what conditions. Over 140 countries have already recognized Palestine, and the pressure is now increasing to implement this recognition at a practical level.

The New York Conference has the potential to be a significant step towards this direction, and Israel finds itself at a crucial juncture. Will it help shape the process or just watch as arrangements are made that will be imposed on it?

Israeli recognition of a Palestinian state within the framework of a regional political settlement is a clear security interest. This also includes the moral implications of controlling another people and acknowledges the demographic reality that there are currently more Palestinian Arabs than Jews living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean.

Such recognition would elevate the conflict to an interstate level, manageable within well-defined borders, security measures, and mutual acceptance. Israel has disagreements with Egypt and Jordan, but peace endures because relations between countries are easier to manage.

Moreover, such a move would strengthen Israel’s position in the regional and international arena and facilitate the expansion of the Abraham Accords. It would bring Israel closer to relations with other Muslim countries, primarily Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, which have already declared their readiness to establish relations with Israel after it recognizes a Palestinian state.

Israel must “wake up” and understand that the world is not waiting for it. A rare opportunity is emerging for Israel to actively participate in the decision-making process. Diplomatic isolation is a choice, not fate. Israel must choose whether to join the efforts to bring about solutions or to remain the problem.

Nothing can be expected from the current government, but it is important that the liberal Israeli public, which understands the dangers of Netanyahu’s policies in all areas of governance, support an international move that can help end the conflict and solidify Israel’s position in the region.

Despite the trauma of the horrors of October 7th, hope cannot and must not be lost, and Israel must join the international efforts that, above all else, will bring a halt to its burying of its children and a halt to its neighbors burying of theirs.

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This piece was co-authored by Naomi Sternberg and Nadav Tamir

Naomi Sternberg is a peace and women’s rights activist. She is the director of the Conflict and Gender unit at the Geneva Initiative, and the co-director of the Two-State Coalition. She is a doctoral candidate researching the psychology of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at Hebrew University, and she holds a master’s degree in Middle Eastern history.