Saudi deputy FM meets European Commissioner in Brussels
The two sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation in various fields and other topics of common interest, the Foreign Ministry said on X.
Haifa Al-Jadea, head of the Kingdom's mission to the EU, was among the officials in attendance.
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Arab News
28 minutes ago
- Arab News
Pakistan demands immediate ceasefire, ‘universal recognition' of Palestinian state at UN summit
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar this week pushed for 'universal recognition' of the state of Palestine and its full membership at the United Nations (UN), calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza at a UN summit held to discuss the two-state solution in the Middle East. Dar was speaking at a high-level UN conference on the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue and the implementation of the two-state solution which opened on Monday. The conference was co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France. The summit brought together UN member states, observers and regional stakeholders. It featured plenary discussions and thematic roundtables on issues ranging from security arrangements and humanitarian response to reconstruction and economic viability. The conference was held at a time when the world is pushing for peace in the Middle East, where Israel has killed over 58,000 people in Gaza since October 7, 2023, through various military offensives. Speaking at the conference on Monday, Dar said the prolonged injustice in Palestine was not only a political failure but a 'moral stain – and a persistent threat to international peace and security.' 'Ensure universal recognition of the State of Palestine and its full UN membership,' Dar said. 'We welcome France's decision to recognize the state of Palestine and encourage other countries who have not done so far, to extend recognition and contribute to this global momentum for Palestinian statehood.' Dar was referring to French President Emmanuel Macron's plans to formally recognize Palestine, with the official declaration expected during the UN General Assembly in September. France would be the first G7 country to do so, and could influence a broader European recognition trend. As of early this year, about 147 of the 193 UN member states had officially recognized the State of Palestine, representing about 75 percent of the international community. They include the majority of African, Asian and Latin American countries. Several European nations also recently joined the list, including Norway, Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, and Armenia, as have the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Barbados. Dar, who also serves as Pakistan's foreign minister, demanded an 'immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire' in Gaza and other Palestinian territories. He commended the efforts of Qatar, the United States, Egypt and Saudi Arabia in this regard. The Pakistani minister pushed for 'full and unimpeded' humanitarian access, especially life-saving food and medicine, for the people of Palestine and protection of relief teams in Gaza. 'Fourth, international accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity,' he said. 'Impunity must end; fifth, the reinvigoration of a genuine and irreversible political process to end the occupation and realize the two-state solution.' Dar said Pakistan is willing to extend technical assistance and capacity building support to Palestine in key sectors such as public administration, health, education and service delivery, in coordination with the Palestinian leadership. He said Pakistan is prepared to contribute to the building of institutions, including through participation in the Arab-OIC Plan, and any international protection mechanism. 'The occupation must end, and end now. It is time for freedom, self-determination and statehood, and Palestine's full membership of the UN,' Dar said. 'That will be the best guarantee for lasting peace in the region.'
Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
EU and Gulf states aligned on path to peace in Palestine, top EU official tells Arab News
NEW YORK CITY: The EU and Gulf nations, led by Saudi Arabia, are increasingly aligned in their calls for a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the provision of humanitarian relief, and a political path forward in Gaza and the West Bank, according to EU's commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Suica. Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of a high-level international conference at the UN in New York this week, Suica emphasized a shared interest in 'peace, security and prosperity' as the foundation for deeper EU-Gulf cooperation on the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Formally titled the 'High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution,' the two-day event, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, began on Monday. It brought together top global actors, including the EU, the UN and major Arab states, in what was described as a critical turning point in efforts to revive peace talks and lay the groundwork for post-conflict reconstruction in Gaza. 'This is a historic moment,' Suica told Arab News. 'We are mature enough, and seeing what is going on the ground, this conference might be the trigger to say enough is enough.' She was unequivocal in her support for the Saudi-led initiative and the Arab Peace Initiative, saying: 'We are aligned on that. We would like to follow, we would like to engage.' The EU and Gulf countries agree on the urgent need for a ceasefire agreement, she added, and a diplomatic track that guarantees security for both Israelis and Palestinians. Suica said the role of the EU extends beyond diplomacy to include direct financial support, particularly for efforts to strengthen the Palestinian Authority. 'We don't want to be only a payer, we want to be a player,' she added. 'We are financing the Palestinian Authority because we think we have to empower them to be our interlocutor on the ground.' While the lead diplomatic role lies with the EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, Suica said her own focus is on the economic dimension, particularly reconstruction and institutional development in a postwar Gaza. She confirmed that the EU would launch a donors' platform in the fall to help coordinate international aid for rebuilding the territory and the long-term development of Palestinian institutions. This includes €1.9 billion ($ 2.2 billion) earmarked for Palestinian reforms between now and 2027, of which €150 million has already been disbursed. The EU is also supporting the UN Relief and Works Agency, the only organization currently able to provide services such as healthcare and education on the ground. 'But ultimately, our goal is for the Palestinian Authority to take over these services,' Suica said, underlining the long-term vision of the EU for a viable, independent Palestinian state. She acknowledged the complexities involved in dealing with the Israeli government, but said that while 'Israel breached Article Two' of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, there was no consensus among EU member states for an outright suspension of the agreement. 'We need a channel of communication with Israel. If we block everything, who is our interlocutor?' she said, while pointing to mounting pressure from public opinion and the media as other possible drivers for Israeli policy shifts. The EU remains united, however, on one key issue: the need for humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza. 'All member states are on board,' Suica affirmed, and she criticized Israeli authorities for the slow implementation of previous humanitarian agreements, including the limited opening of border crossings to allow aid to enter Gaza. Nor did she mince her words when discussing Israeli policies in the West Bank, noting that tax revenues owed to the Palestinian Authority — money that is crucial for maintaining public services and governance — have been withheld for the past three months. She also denounced a rise in settler violence, which she said undermines prospects for a two-state solution. 'Violent settlers on the ground is not acceptable,' Suica said. 'We've had one or two rounds of sanctions, but for more we need unanimity, and that's always a problem within the EU.' This week's conference in New York, she added, is a 'very good introduction' ahead of the UN's General Assembly week in September, when key announcements are expected, including official recognition of the State of Palestine by more countries. France has already declared its intent to do so, and Suica hinted that other European nations might follow suit. This aligns with a broader 'Peace Day Effort' launched by the EU, the Arab League, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt. This aims to build a comprehensive 'peace-supporting package,' including economic, political and regional security cooperation mechanisms to help sustain peace once a final agreement is reached. 'This is not just about Gaza,' Suica said. 'This is about the future architecture of peace and security in the entire region. The Gulf countries are critical partners in this effort. We are aligned, and we are determined.' As the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza continues to unfold and violence spreads in the West Bank, the EU and its Arab partners are pushing for what might be the most coordinated international push for a two-state solution in more than a decade. With the clock ticking toward the UN's General Assembly in September, the pressure is therefore on all sides to turn diplomatic hopes into lasting results.
Arab News
8 hours ago
- Arab News
Landmark Saudi-French peace summit signals growing international consensus for Palestinian statehood
DUBAI/LONDON: The first day of the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine sent a unified message: the path toward Palestinian statehood is taking shape, with international actors working to chart what France's foreign minister described as an 'irreversible political path' to a two-state solution. Co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France at the UN from July 28 to 30, the conference seeks to revive global momentum around Palestinian recognition — momentum that has waned amid Israel's military campaign in Gaza triggered by the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. 'This is a historic stage that reflects growing international consensus,' Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a near-capacity hall on Monday, adding that the gathering aims to shift the international atmosphere decisively toward a two-state solution. 'This is not simply a political position. Rather, this is a deeply entrenched belief that an independent Palestinian state is the true keys to peace,' which he said he envisioned in the form of the Arab Peace Initiative, presented by Saudi Arabia and adopted by the Arab League in Beirut in 2002. The conference comes days after French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to officially recognize the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September — a move that would make France the first G7 country to do so. The US, however, declined to participate, saying in a memo that the meeting was 'counterproductive to ongoing, life-saving efforts to end the war in Gaza and free hostages.' Washington added that it opposes 'any steps that would unilaterally recognize a conjectural Palestinian state,' arguing such moves introduce 'significant legal and political obstacles' to resolving the conflict. Israel, which faces mounting international pressure over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza — where the UN says starvation is taking hold — also boycotted the meeting. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the wide attendance at the conference proved 'the consensus and the mobilization of the international community around the appeal for an end to the war in Gaza.' He urged participants to view the gathering as 'a turning point — a transformational juncture for implementing the two-state solution.' 'We have begun an unprecedented and unstoppable momentum for a political solution in the Middle East, which is already beginning to bear fruit,' Barrot said, citing tangible steps such as 'recognition of Palestine, normalization and regional integration of Israel, reform of Palestinian governance, and the disarmament of Hamas.' While the 1947 UN Partition Plan originally proposed separate Jewish and Arab states, Israel's far-right government continues to reject any form of Palestinian statehood, advocating instead for the permanent annexation of land and, in some cases, the expulsion of Palestinian residents. 'This conference does not promote a solution, but rather deepens the illusion,' said Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the UN, on Monday, accusing organizers of being 'disconnected from reality' by prioritizing Palestinian sovereignty over the release of hostages and the dismantling of Hamas. The future of Hamas and Israeli settler violence dominated discussions on the first day and are expected to remain a focus throughout the conference. Juan Manuel Santos, the former Colombian president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, told the conference that the current Israeli government is 'pursuing a greater Israel through the destruction of Gaza, illegal settlement expansion and the annexation of the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.' He called on nations to recognize the State of Palestine, saying it would send a clear message that Israel's 'expansionist agenda will never be accepted and does not serve their true interests.' Intervening on the issue, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa described Gaza as the 'latest and most brutal manifestation' of the crisis. 'The idea that peace can come through the destruction or subjugation of our people is a deadly illusion,' he said, arguing that the Palestinian people — and not Hamas — 'have demonstrated an ironclad commitment to peace in the face of brutal violence.' Israel has defended its actions as essential to national security and has signaled its intention to maintain military control over Gaza and the West Bank after the war. But on Monday, several speakers insisted that true security cannot exist without peace. 'Just as there can be no peace without security, there can be no security without peace,' said Italian representative Maria Tripodi. Participants proposed building an inclusive regional security framework modeled after the OSCE or ASEAN, focused on negotiations and policy rather than military control. Qatar's representative emphasized that while a ceasefire and increasing the flow of humanitarian aid remain the immediate goals, lasting peace requires a two-state solution, tackling root causes, protecting independent media, and countering hate speech. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo has 'intensified efforts' to end the war, resume aid, and provide security training to forces that could help create the conditions for a viable Palestinian state. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza loomed large over discussions. With the territory's health and food systems in a state of collapse, the UN has warned that famine is already unfolding in parts of the enclave, where hundreds of thousands remain trapped. Despite mounting international pressure, Israel has maintained tight control over land access and aid convoys, increasing the allowance of humanitarian convoys entering the enclave on Sunday — efforts that humanitarian groups say are insufficient, erratic, and dangerous. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the Arab League, warned that 'a new Middle East will never emerge from the suffering of Palestinians.' Peace, he said, will not come through 'starvation, deportation or total suppression,' and cannot exist while occupation and apartheid persist. Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein, former UN high commissioner for human rights, urged the international community to define a clear and pragmatic plan for a new and independent Palestine. 'A vision is not for today's emotional audit,' he said, but for a new tomorrow for both Israel and Palestine. This is why, 'a two-state solution would have to be practical to gain support' and 'wholesale vagueness about the end game is not strategic; it is dangerous.' He advocated for a 'cleverly designed, regionally anchored security arrangement to prevent unilateral abrogation as a first urgent transitional step' in addition to a reconstruction and rehabilitation mission with an international mandate. Addressing delegates, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the conflict had reached a 'breaking point,' and urged a shift from rhetoric to concrete action. Nothing justifies 'the obliteration of Gaza that has unfolded before the eyes of the world,' he said, listing illegal settlement expansion, settler violence, mass displacement and the annexation drive as elements of a 'systemic reality dismantling the building blocks of peace.' He called for an immediate end to unilateral actions undermining a two-state solution, and reaffirmed the UN vision of two sovereign, democratic states living side-by-side in peace, based on pre-1967 borders and with Jerusalem as a shared capital. 'This remains the only framework rooted in international law, endorsed by this Assembly, and supported by the international community,' he said. 'It is the only credible path to a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. And it is the sine qua non for peace across the wider Middle East.'
