Reviving political prospects for implementing two-State solution

During the 80th session of the UN General Assembly High-level Week, the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian question and the implementation of the two-State solution became the focus of international attention.

France, Monaco, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and Andorra have recognized the State of Palestine, joining earlier acknowledgments by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal. This brings total recognition to 157 of the UN's 193 member states.

While this diplomatic surge injects momentum into a strained political landscape, recognition marks a beginning - not an endpoint. Converting diplomatic symbolism into political progress requires greater resolve and concrete steps that rebuild a credible pathway to two states.

At the heart of the two-State solution is the coexistence of Palestine and Israel as sovereign states. The prevailing international view remains clear: the only viable resolution is an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Despite Palestine's 1988 declaration of statehood and subsequent recognition by most UN members, decades of hesitation, particularly among some Western nations, have marginalized the issue. The latest round of violence is, in part, a consequence of that neglect.

Today, the prolonged conflict has led to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. In Gaza alone, over 65,000 lives have been lost, nearly half of them women and children, and 2 million people face a profound survival crisis. At the General Assembly, numerous countries described ongoing events as "genocide in Gaza," while consensus around the urgency of implementing the two-State solution has widened.

"Recognizing the State of Palestine is support for the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. It is not a gift but a legitimate right," said Riyad Mansour, the permanent observer of the State of Palestine to the UN. Annalena Baerbock, president of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, noted that the international community is working on a practical and irreversible roadmap to achieve the two-State solution.

With war still raging, civilians cannot be protected and political settlement remains elusive. The immediate priority must be a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza, pursued with the greatest sense of urgency. Continued military escalation is claiming innocent lives every day. The weaponization of humanitarian supplies and the militarization of their distribution - both egregious violations of international law - are eroding the foundations of a two-state solution and directly imperiling regional stability.

The international community, especially states with significant influence over the parties concerned, must fulfill their responsibilities by upholding fairness and justice and actively facilitate negotiations. The UN Security Council and humanitarian agencies must do their part to create conditions conducive to implementing the two-state solution.

A political settlement remains the only viable path forward for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Yet the path has been obstructed by the partiality of certain countries. Driven by narrow geopolitical calculations, some countries have taken persistently biased positions that blocked the implementation of the two-State solution, aggravated tensions, and undermined international law and the authority of multilateral institutions.

As New York Magazine observed, the postwar legal order established to prevent the atrocities of World War II has failed, and worse, the U.S., which nominally took on the responsibility of preserving that order, is abetting the killing and abandoning any pretense of adhering to the law.

Egypt's Al-Ahram likewise argued that U.S. vetoes at the UN and ongoing military support for Israel have been major reasons the two-state process remains stalled.

The two-State solution concerns the bottom line of international justice and must not be undermined. Security cannot be zero-sum; no nation can build its safety upon another's insecurity. Statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people - no less than it is for Israelis - and there can be no double standards on this question.

Given the historical injustices endured by Palestinians, delay is indefensible and inaction inexcusable. On matters bearing on the future and destiny of the Palestinian people, no country should have a veto.

The Palestinian question has always been central to the Middle East issue. Achieving lasting peace between Palestinians and Israelis requires justice for the Palestinian people and the full implementation of the two-state solution. Only this can break the cycle of conflict and establish durable peace.

Gaza and the West Bank are inseparable parts of Palestinian territory. Any post-war governance or reconstruction arrangement must respect the will of the Palestinian people, uphold their legitimate national rights, and ensure that the principle of "Palestinians governing Palestine" is realized in practice.

All parties should support the Gaza reconstruction plan endorsed by the emergency Arab summit and the emergency ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and support the Palestinian Authority in exercising effective governance across all Palestinian territories, including Gaza and the West Bank.

The international call for implementing the two-State solution has reached an unprecedented level, reflecting the mainstream will of the international community. Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said the recent wave of recognition "corrects a historical error that has persisted for years."

The opportunity must be seized to forge a broader international consensus and a more unified position. On the basis of recognizing the State of Palestine, the international community should support Palestine's bid for full UN membership, develop practical roadmaps to implementation, and reject unilateral measures that erode the two-state foundation.

The distance from recognizing the two-State solution to realizing it remains long and difficult. But history will ultimately bend toward justice, and the seeds of peace will break through the soil of hatred. The international community should muster greater resolve, work together to revive the political prospects for implementing the two-State solution, and strive for a comprehensive, just, and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question at an early date.