The two-state solution: A political smokescreen

Observer

11 hours ago

In what was presented as a legally and diplomatically significant development, countries participating in the International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Question and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution—co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and the French Republic — issued a final communiqué on July 29 at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Working groups were jointly chaired by Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Norway, Qatar, Senegal, Spain, Türkiye, the UK, the European Union and the Arab League, with participation from several other nations.
In their closing statement, the participants affirmed: 'Ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and implementing the two-state solution is the only path, under international law, to fulfil the legitimate aspirations of both Palestinians and Israelis; to end all forms of violence; to halt the destabilising actions of non-state actors; to ensure the security of both peoples; to establish the sovereignty of two states; and to achieve peace, prosperity and regional integration for the benefit of all peoples in the region'.
They further stated: 'Accordingly, we commit to taking concrete, time-bound and irreversible steps towards a peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue and the implementation of the two-state solution — through swift and practical measures that will result in the establishment of an independent, sovereign, economically viable and democratic Palestinian state, living side by side in peace and security with Israel. This would enable full regional integration and mutual recognition'.
Following the conference, 15 countries — including France, Canada, Australia, Finland, New Zealand, Portugal, Iceland and Slovenia — announced their intention to officially recognise the State of Palestine during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September. Spain, Ireland and Norway had already extended such recognition in May 2024.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also declared that UK would formally recognise the State of Palestine by September — unless Israel takes tangible steps to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, commits to the two-state solution and halts the annexation of the West Bank. This reflects a conditional recognition — more a diplomatic tool to pressure Israel to ease its actions in Gaza than a principled shift in Britain's longstanding position.
It is worth recalling that since the Palestinian National Council, led by the late President Yasser Arafat, declared the establishment of the State of Palestine in Algiers on November 15, 1988, a total of 147 out of 193 United Nations member states have officially recognised Palestine. This represents just over 75 per cent of the global body.
This raises a critical question: what impact would further recognition bring — especially in the continued absence of recognition from the US, which remains firmly opposed to such initiatives and has openly criticised countries like France for taking that step?
If 147 states have thus far been unable to compel Israel to respect international law or implement UN Security Council Resolution 242 — adopted on November 22, 1967, which calls for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied during the 1967 war — what leverage will a few more recognitions provide?
In July 2024, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel's ongoing presence in the territories occupied in 1967 is illegal and that the country must end its occupation without delay.
This decision joins a long list of resolutions and rulings issued by international bodies over the past seven decades, none of which have succeeded in compelling Israel to comply with international humanitarian law or to halt the suffering, starvation and devastation affecting over two million unarmed civilians in Gaza. Nor has it succeeded in stopping illegal settlement activity in the West Bank.
Seen in this light, the recent initiative by the international community — particularly by influential Western powers — amounts to a political smokescreen: an attempt to deflect attention from the war crimes, human rights violations and unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza by shifting focus to the long-stalled two-state solution.
Rather than applying serious pressure to end the current hostilities, the narrative of a two-state solution has been resurrected — despite widespread recognition that, under current conditions, such a solution remains unachievable.
As long as Washington continues to offer unwavering protection to the occupying Israeli regime, meaningful progress remains elusive. Israel has had little incentive to adhere to international law, largely because such law has never been enforced in its case — since its establishment and recognition in 1948.
Translated by: Badr al Dhafri
The original version of this article was published in the print edition of Oman Arabic newspaper on August 7