France and Saudi Arabia will convene dozens of global leaders in New York on Monday to press forward with a Palestinian state.

France and Saudi Arabia will convene dozens of global leaders in New York on Monday to press forward with a two-state solution and bolster momentum for recognising a Palestinian state, despite strong opposition from Israel and the United States.

Israel and the US have said they will boycott the summit. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, denounced the event as a “circus.” He told reporters on Thursday, “We don’t think it’s helpful. We think it’s actually rewarding terrorism.” Israeli officials have also suggested that annexing part of the occupied West Bank is under consideration as a possible response, alongside bilateral measures against France.

The Biden administration has likewise warned of potential consequences for states that formally recognise Palestinian statehood, including against France, whose president, Emmanuel Macron, is hosting the summit. The meeting comes ahead of this week’s United Nations General Assembly and follows Israel’s launch of a ground assault on Gaza City amid a war that erupted two years ago when Hamas attacked Israel.

With Israel intensifying its offensive in Gaza and settler violence escalating in the West Bank, diplomats say urgency has grown to act before the two-state vision collapses entirely. Earlier this month, the General Assembly endorsed a declaration laying out “tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps” towards a two-state solution, while condemning Hamas and demanding that it surrender and disarm. Both Israel and the US dismissed the declaration as harmful and a publicity stunt.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot defended the process, saying on Thursday: “The New York Declaration is not a vague promise for the distant future, but rather a roadmap that begins with the top priorities: a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Once the ceasefire and release of hostages are achieved, the next step is a plan for the day after, which will be on the agenda for Monday’s discussions.”

France has spearheaded the effort, with Macron announcing in July that Paris would recognise a Palestinian state, aiming to galvanise support beyond smaller nations traditionally critical of Israel. In the past week, Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal formally recognised a Palestinian state, and France along with five other nations are expected to follow suit on Monday.

Some countries have indicated that recognition will come with conditions, including phased normalisation of diplomatic ties depending on reforms by the Palestinian Authority. Israel has rejected the initiative, saying it has no confidence that 89-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will deliver on promised reforms set out in a letter to Macron earlier this year.

Abbas and senior Palestinian officials will not attend in person after the US refused to issue visas, though he is expected to address the summit via video. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, despite co-hosting the meeting, will also appear virtually after the General Assembly agreed by consensus on Friday to allow his remote participation.

“The world is saying out loud a Palestinian state and we need to materialise it. Now they need to show what these measures are,” Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin said on Sunday. (ARISE NEWS)