At the general debate of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, global leaders convened in New York in support of the Palestinian statehood, despite opposition from Israel and the U.S., as the Gaza Strip neared the two-year mark of a war that has brought mass casualties and widespread devastation.
A collective voice
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on the first day of the general debate that “in Gaza, the horrors are approaching a third monstrous year,” highlighting “a scale of death and destruction beyond any other conflict” in his years as secretary-general.
He called for the full and immediate implementation of the International Court of Justice measures, a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages and humanitarian access, adding that “we must not relent in the only viable answer to sustainable Middle East peace: a two-state solution.”
In his remarks on Tuesday, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva condemned the Hamas terror attacks, noting that the international humanitarian law and the myth of Western exceptionalism were buried under the rubble there, and the survival of the Palestinian people requires an independent state.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto reiterated his country’s complete support for the two-state solution, calling for both Palestine and Israel to be free and independent, safe and secure from threats and terrorism. Indonesia is ready to deploy 20,000 or even more people to help secure peace in Gaza or elsewhere, and this year, it exported rice to other nations in need, including to Palestine, he said.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II said that security will only come when Palestine and Israel begin to co-exist side by side. “This is the two-state solution, in line with international law and UN resolutions: an independent and viable Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital … alongside a secure Israel … living in peace with its neighbors,” he noted.
“We reaffirm our support of the two-state solution with the UN playing a central role. Kazakhstan acknowledges diplomatic initiatives aimed at regional reconciliation in the Middle East,” said Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
“We cannot turn a blind eye to the deeply worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the continuation of political negotiations,” said Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, adding that “in line with the UN resolutions, we remain steadfast supporters of the two-state solution principle.”
European nations recognize Palestine at UN
A group of European governments have recognized the State of Palestine during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, marking a growing diplomatic shift in Europe and a widening policy gap with the United States.
France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Malta and Monaco announced recognition during Monday’s high-level UN meeting on the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian question.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris would recognize Palestine, fulfilling a commitment he had signaled in recent months. “The time for peace has come,” he said. “We must do everything within our power to preserve the very possibility of a two-state solution.”
On the formal recognition, Prime Minister of Luxembourg Luc Frieden said, “It is the beginning of a renewed commitment to hope. A commitment to diplomacy, to dialogue, to coexistence and a two-state solution. To the idea, fragile, but still possible, that peace can prevail.”
Their announcements followed Canada’s on Sunday, with Britain, Australia and Portugal joining later that day. Washington, which boycotted the session and continues to back Israel, remains opposed to recognition at this stage and denied visas to Palestinian delegates, barring them from the UN meeting in New York.
