Latest news with #ManalRadwan
New Indian Express
28-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
What to expect, and what not to, at the UN meeting on Israel-Palestinian two-State solution
Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those lands for a future independent state alongside Israel, and this idea of a two-state solution based on Israel's pre-1967 boundaries has been the basis of peace talks dating back to the 1990s. The two-state solution has wide international support. The logic behind it is that the population of Israel — along with east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza — is divided equally between Jews and Palestinians. The establishment of an independent Palestine would leave Israel as a democratic country with a solid Jewish majority and grant the Palestinians their dream of self-determination. Why hold a conference now? France and Saudi Arabia have said they want to put a spotlight on the two-state solution as the only viable path to peace in the Middle East — and they want to see a road map with specific steps, first ending the war in Gaza. The co-chairs said in a document sent to U.N. members in May that the primary goal of the meeting is to identify actions by 'all relevant actors' to implement the two-state solution — and 'to urgently mobilize the necessary efforts and resources to achieve this aim, through concrete and time-bound commitments.' Saudi diplomat Manal Radwan, who led the country's delegation to the preparatory conference, said the meeting must 'chart a course for action, not reflection.' It must be 'anchored in a credible and irreversible political plan that addresses the root cause of the conflict and offers a real path to peace, dignity and mutual security,' she said. French President Emmanuel Macron has pushed for a broader movement toward a two-state solution in parallel with a recognition of Israel's right to defend itself. He announced late Thursday that France will recognize the state of Palestine officially at the annual gathering of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly in late September. About 145 countries have recognized the state of Palestine. But Macron's announcement, ahead of Monday's meeting and amid increasing global anger over desperately hungry people in Gaza starting to die from starvation, makes France the most important Western power to do so. What is Israel's view? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the two-state solution on both nationalistic and security grounds. Netanyahu's religious and nationalist base views the West Bank as the biblical and historical homeland of the Jewish people, while Israeli Jews overwhelmingly consider Jerusalem their eternal capital. The city's eastern side is home to Judaism's holiest site, along with major Christian and Muslim holy places. Hard-line Israelis like Netanyahu believe the Palestinians don't want peace, citing the second Palestinian uprising of the early 2000s, and more recently the Hamas takeover of Gaza two years after Israel withdrew from the territory in 2005. The Hamas takeover led to five wars, including the current and ongoing 21-month conflict.
Indian Express
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
What to expect, and what not to, at the UN meeting on an Israel-Palestinian two-state solution
The UN General Assembly is bringing high-level officials together this week to promote a two-state solution to the decades-old Israel-Palestinian conflict that would place their peoples side by side, living in peace in independent nations. Israel and its close ally the United States are boycotting the two-day meeting, which starts Monday and will be co-chaired by the foreign ministers of France and Saudi Arabia. Israel's right-wing government opposes a two-state solution, and the United States has called the meeting 'counterproductive' to its efforts to end the war in Gaza. France and Saudi Arabia want the meeting to put a spotlight on the two-state solution, which they view as the only viable road map to peace, and to start addressing the steps to get there. The meeting was postponed from late June and downgraded from a four-day meeting of world leaders amid surging tensions in the Middle East, including Israel's 12-day war against Iran and the war in Gaza. 'It was absolutely necessary to restart a political process, the two-state solution process, that is today threatened, more threatened than it has ever been,' French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Sunday on CBS News' Face the Nation. The idea of dividing the Holy Land goes back decades. When the British mandate over Palestine ended, the UN partition plan in 1947 envisioned dividing the territory into Jewish and Arab states. Israel accepted the plan, but upon Israel's declaration of independence the following year, its Arab neighbours declared war and the plan was never implemented. Under a 1949 armistice, Jordan held control over the West Bank and East Jerusalem and Egypt over Gaza. Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza in the 1967 Middle East war. The Palestinians seek those lands for a future independent state alongside Israel, and this idea of a two-state solution based on Israel's pre-1967 boundaries has been the basis of peace talks dating back to the 1990s. The two-state solution has wide international support. The logic behind it is that the population of Israel — along with East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza — is divided equally between Jews and Palestinians. The establishment of an independent Palestine would leave Israel as a democratic country with a solid Jewish majority and grant the Palestinians their dream of self-determination. France and Saudi Arabia have said they want to put a spotlight on the two-state solution as the only viable path to peace in the Middle East — and they want to see a road map with specific steps, first ending the war in Gaza. The co-chairs said in a document sent to UN members in May that the primary goal of the meeting is to identify actions by 'all relevant actors' to implement the two-state solution — and 'to urgently mobilise the necessary efforts and resources to achieve this aim, through concrete and time-bound commitments'. Saudi diplomat Manal Radwan, who led the country's delegation to the preparatory conference, said the meeting must 'chart a course for action, not reflection'. It must be 'anchored in a credible and irreversible political plan that addresses the root cause of the conflict and offers a real path to peace, dignity and mutual security', she said. French President Emmanuel Macron has pushed for a broader movement towards a two-state solution in parallel with a recognition of Israel's right to defend itself. He announced late Thursday that France will recognise the state of Palestine officially at the annual gathering of world leaders at the UN General Assembly in late September. About 145 countries have recognised the state of Palestine. But Macron's announcement, ahead of Monday's meeting and amid increasing global anger over desperately hungry people in Gaza starting to die from starvation, makes France the most important Western power to do so. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the two-state solution on both nationalistic and security grounds. Netanyahu's religious and nationalist base views the West Bank as the biblical and historical homeland of the Jewish people, while Israeli Jews overwhelmingly consider Jerusalem their eternal capital. The city's eastern side is home to Judaism's holiest site, along with major Christian and Muslim holy places. Hard-line Israelis like Netanyahu believe the Palestinians don't want peace, citing the second Palestinian uprising of the early 2000s, and more recently the Hamas takeover of Gaza two years after Israel withdrew from the territory in 2005. The Hamas takeover led to five wars, including the current and ongoing 21-month conflict. At the same time, Israel also opposes a one-state solution in which Jews could lose their majority. Netanyahu's preference seems to be the status quo, where Israel maintains overall control and Israelis have fuller rights than Palestinians, Israel deepens its control by expanding settlements, and the Palestinian Authority has limited autonomy in pockets of the West Bank. Netanyahu condemned Macron's announcement of Palestinian recognition, saying it 'rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became'. The Palestinians, who label the current arrangement 'apartheid', accuse Israel of undermining repeated peace initiatives by deepening settlement construction in the West Bank and threatening annexation. That would harm the prospect of a contiguous Palestinian state and their prospects for independence. Ahmed Majdalani, a member of the PLO Executive Committee and close associate of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said the meeting will serve as preparation for a presidential summit expected in September. It will take place either in France or at the UN on the sidelines of the high-level meeting, UN diplomats said. Majdalani said the Palestinians have several goals, first a 'serious international political process leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state'. The Palestinians also want additional international recognition of their state by major countries including Britain. But expect that to happen in September, not at Monday's meeting, Majdalani said. And he said they want economic and financial support for the Palestinian Authority and international support for the reconstruction and recovery of the Gaza Strip. All 193 UN member nations have been invited to attend the meeting and a French diplomat said about 40 ministers are expected. The United States and Israel are the only countries boycotting. The co-chairs have circulated an outcome document which could be adopted, and there could be some announcements of intentions to recognise a Palestinian state. But with Israel and the United States boycotting, there is no prospect of a breakthrough and the resumption of long-stalled negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians on an end to their conflict. Secretary-General António Guterres urged participants after the meeting was announced 'to keep the two-state solution alive'. And he said the international community must not only support a solution where independent states of Palestine and Israel live side-by-side in peace but 'materialise the conditions to make it happen'.
Boston Globe
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
What to expect, and what not to, at the UN meeting on an Israel-Palestinian two-state solution
'It was absolutely necessary to restart a political process, the two-state solution process, that is today threatened, more threatened than it has ever been,' French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Sunday on CBS News' 'Face the Nation.' Advertisement Here's what's useful to know about the upcoming gathering. Why a two-state solution? The idea of dividing the Holy Land goes back decades. When the British mandate over Palestine ended, the U.N. partition plan in 1947 envisioned dividing the territory into Jewish and Arab states. Israel accepted the plan, but upon Israel's declaration of independence the following year, its Arab neighbors declared war and the plan was never implemented. Under a 1949 armistice, Jordan held control over the West Bank and east Jerusalem and Egypt over Gaza. Advertisement Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those lands for a future independent state alongside Israel, and this idea of a two-state solution based on Israel's pre-1967 boundaries has been the basis of peace talks dating back to the 1990s. The two-state solution has wide international support. The logic behind it is that the population of Israel — along with east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza — is divided equally between Jews and Palestinians. The establishment of an independent Palestine would leave Israel as a democratic country with a solid Jewish majority and grant the Palestinians their dream of self-determination. Why hold a conference now? France and Saudi Arabia have said they want to put a spotlight on the two-state solution as the only viable path to peace in the Middle East — and they want to see a road map with specific steps, first ending the war in Gaza. The co-chairs said in a document sent to U.N. members in May that the primary goal of the meeting is to identify actions by 'all relevant actors' to implement the two-state solution — and 'to urgently mobilize the necessary efforts and resources to achieve this aim, through concrete and time-bound commitments.' Saudi diplomat Manal Radwan, who led the country's delegation to the preparatory conference, said the meeting must 'chart a course for action, not reflection.' It must be 'anchored in a credible and irreversible political plan that addresses the root cause of the conflict and offers a real path to peace, dignity and mutual security,' she said. Advertisement French President Emmanuel Macron has pushed for a broader movement toward a two-state solution in parallel with a recognition of Israel's right to defend itself. He announced late Thursday that France will recognize the state of Palestine officially at the annual gathering of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly in late September. About 145 countries have recognized the state of Palestine. But Macron's announcement, ahead of Monday's meeting and amid increasing global anger over desperately hungry people in Gaza starting to die from starvation, makes France the most important Western power to do so. What is Israel's view? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the two-state solution on both nationalistic and security grounds. Netanyahu's religious and nationalist base views the West Bank as the biblical and historical homeland of the Jewish people, while Israeli Jews overwhelmingly consider Jerusalem their eternal capital. The city's eastern side is home to Judaism's holiest site, along with major Christian and Muslim holy places. Hard-line Israelis like Netanyahu believe the Palestinians don't want peace, citing the second Palestinian uprising of the early 2000s, and more recently the Hamas takeover of Gaza two years after Israel withdrew from the territory in 2005. The Hamas takeover led to five wars, including the current and ongoing 21-month conflict. At the same time, Israel also opposes a one-state solution in which Jews could lose their majority. Netanyahu's preference seems to be the status quo, where Israel maintains overall control and Israelis have fuller rights than Palestinians, Israel deepens its control by expanding settlements, and the Palestinian Authority has limited autonomy in pockets of the West Bank. Netanyahu condemned Macron's announcement of Palestinian recognition, saying it 'rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became.' Advertisement What is the Palestinian view? The Palestinians, who label the current arrangement 'apartheid,' accuse Israel of undermining repeated peace initiatives by deepening settlement construction in the West Bank and threatening annexation. That would harm the prospect of a contiguous Palestinian state and their prospects for independence. Ahmed Majdalani, a member of the PLO Executive Committee and close associate of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said the meeting will serve as preparation for a presidential summit expected in September. It will take place either in France or at the U.N. on the sidelines of the high-level meeting, U.N. diplomats said. Majdalani said the Palestinians have several goals, first a 'serious international political process leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state.' The Palestinians also want additional international recognition of their state by major countries including Britain. But expect that to happen in September, not at Monday's meeting, Majdalani said. And he said they want economic and financial support for the Palestinian Authority and international support for the reconstruction and recovery of the Gaza Strip. What will happen — and won't happen — at the meeting? All 193 U.N. member nations have been invited to attend the meeting and a French diplomat said about 40 ministers are expected. The United States and Israel are the only countries who are boycotting. The co-chairs have circulated an outcome document which could be adopted, and there could be some announcements of intentions to recognize a Palestinian state. But with Israel and the United States boycotting, there is no prospect of a breakthrough and the resumption of long-stalled negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians on an end to their conflict. Secretary-General António Guterres urged participants after the meeting was announced 'to keep the two-state solution alive.' And he said the international community must not only support a solution where independent states of Palestine and Israel live side-by-side in peace but 'materialize the conditions to make it happen.' Advertisement Federman reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.
Asharq Al-Awsat
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi Arabia: Regional Peace Starts with Recognizing State of Palestine
Saudi Arabia called on the international community to treat the recognition of a Palestinian state not as a symbolic move but as a strategic necessity for achieving lasting regional peace and stability. Speaking at a high-level preparatory meeting for the upcoming international conference on resolving the Palestinian issue, Saudi representative Manal Radwan emphasized that regional peace begins with the recognition of Palestine. The conference, jointly organized by Saudi Arabia and France, will be held at the United Nations in June. Radwan noted that establishing a Palestinian state is essential to ending a conflict that has lasted nearly eight decades. 'This is not just about ending a war, it's about ending a long-standing struggle,' she said. 'The time has come for irreversible and transformative change.' She stressed the urgent need for concrete action, especially as Gaza continues to suffer under a deepening humanitarian crisis. 'Civilians are bearing the brunt of a war that must end immediately,' she said, raising concerns about growing violence in the West Bank and the region-wide impact of continued instability. Radwan emphasized that a fair resolution to the Palestinian issue is more than a legal or moral duty, it is the foundation for a new regional order based on coexistence and mutual recognition. 'Recognition of a Palestinian state is the only way to replace despair with a political horizon grounded in rights and sovereignty,' she said. She also welcomed reform efforts by Palestinian leaders, including institutional changes initiated by President Mahmoud Abbas and the new government led by Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, aimed at promoting transparency and economic recovery. Radwan also introduced the Global Coalition to Implement the Two-State Solution, launched by Saudi Arabia to coordinate political, financial, and security support for the initiative. She urged the coalition to function as a mechanism for real implementation, not just consensus-building. France, represented by Macron's advisor Anne-Claire Legendre, echoed the urgency, warning that the two-state solution is more endangered than ever. 'This conference must be a turning point, a shift from words to meaningful action,' she said.
Express Tribune
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Saudi Arabia calls recognition of Palestine a 'strategic necessity'
Manal Radwan of Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said a just solution to the Palestinian issue is essential for a new regional order founded on mutual recognition and coexistence. PHOTO: ARAB NEWS Saudi Arabia has called the recognition of a Palestinian state a 'strategic necessity,' arguing it is the essential first step toward achieving lasting peace in the Middle East. The remarks were delivered at a United Nations General Assembly meeting on Friday, ahead of a high-level peace conference next month. Manal Radwan, counsellor at the Saudi Foreign Ministry and co-chair of the upcoming conference, addressed delegates at the UN, stating that a just solution to the Palestinian issue is not only a moral and legal obligation but also 'the cornerstone of a new regional order based on mutual recognition and coexistence.' 'Regional peace begins with recognising the state of Palestine—not as a symbolic gesture, but as a strategic necessity,' Radwan said. 'It is the only way to eliminate the space exploited by non-state actors and replace despair with a political horizon grounded in rights and sovereignty, ensuring security and dignity for all.' The comments come as Saudi Arabia and France prepare to co-host an international conference aimed at accelerating the implementation of a two-state solution to resolve the decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Support for the initiative has gained momentum in recent days as international concern mounts over the humanitarian toll of Israel's renewed military campaign in Gaza. Radwan described the situation as one of 'historic urgency,' with civilians enduring 'unimaginable suffering' in a war that 'must end immediately.' Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its commitment to working with international partners to deliver 'real, irreversible, and transformative change' and ensure a peaceful and just resolution to the Palestinian question. The upcoming conference, backed by a coalition of nations, is seen as one of the most significant diplomatic pushes in recent years to revive the long-stalled peace process.
