The International Conference on the Palestinian Issue

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

The international conference organized by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the French Republic on the Palestinian issue represents a pivotal moment in international diplomacy. This high-level international conference, held to implement the two-state solution and end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, took place at the United Nations headquarters in New York on July 28-29, 2025.

Context and Importance

The importance of this conference lies in its timing, coming amid the ongoing war in Gaza and the absence of a political horizon to end the Israeli occupation. The conference is based on the Arab Peace Initiative and international legitimacy resolutions, with its primary goal being to break the political deadlock and restore consideration for the two-state solution as a binding international option.

Declared Objectives

The conference aimed to achieve five key objectives:

1. Relaunch a genuine political process based on United Nations resolutions
2. Declare clear international commitment to the two-state solution on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine
3. Move toward broad international recognition of the State of Palestine
4. Establish an international follow-up committee to ensure implementation of conference outcomes and roadmap
5. Support efforts to rebuild Gaza within the framework of a comprehensive political settlement

The New York Declaration

The conference outcomes, dubbed the "New York Declaration," included:

1. Immediate ceasefire in Gaza
2. Unification of Palestinian territories under one authority (West Bank and Gaza under the Palestinian government)
3. Call for forming a temporary international mission (under UN auspices) to support civil governance in Gaza
4. Declaration by countries such as France, Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and even Britain of their intention to officially recognize the State of Palestine during the upcoming General Assembly in September
5. Rejection of any unilateral changes in Jerusalem or settlement expansion

Conference Strength and Participation

The strength of this conference lies in the remarkable attendance of more than 125 countries and organizations, while the absence of the United States and Israel, who officially boycotted the conference, was considered by observers as evidence of the declining influence of unilateral American initiatives.

International organizations participated notably, including the Arab League, the European Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the UN Security Council.

Saudi-French Leadership

The Saudi and French roles were complementary in the political process:

• Saudi Arabia played a pivotal role as the sponsor of the Arab Peace Initiative, seeking to unify Arab and international positions
• France invested its position in the European Union and UN Security Council to push for recognition of the State of Palestine and lead a new international political coalition

Reactions and Responses

Reactions were varied:

• Israel attacked the conference and considered it "unrealistic"
• Palestinian Authority warmly welcomed the conference, confirming that it "restores consideration for the Palestinian cause on the international stage"
• United States refused to sign the final statement but sent unofficial observers

Legal Implications of the Conference

The legal ramifications of the international conference lie within four main axes:

First: Strengthening Palestine's International Legitimacy

Legal support for the two-state principle: The conference reaffirmed that the two-state solution is based on UN resolutions such as 242 (1967), 338 (1973), and 2334 (2016), strengthening the international legal reference against unilateral or realistic solutions imposed by force.

Expanding international recognition: The declaration by countries like France, Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and Britain of their intention to recognize the State of Palestine represents an expansion in legal recognition, enhancing Palestine's status as a "subject of international law."

Second: Preparing for Legal Responsibility of Israeli Occupation

The conference confirmed rejection of the legitimacy of occupation and settlement, explicitly condemning settlement expansion and considering it a violation of international law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) which prohibits the transfer of civilian populations from occupied territories.

The conference strengthens Palestine's position in international judicial forums such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or the International Criminal Court (ICC), confirming the preparation for accountability for Israel.

Third: Codifying the Status of the Palestinian National Authority and Gaza Strip

Call for unifying Palestinian governance: The conference stipulated the necessity of handing over Gaza Strip to the Palestinian National Authority, opening the door for:

• Reuniting occupied territories under one legitimate legal authority
• Ending the artificial division supported by Arab parties that Israel exploited to justify obstructing any political settlement
• Unifying Palestinian legal representation in international forums

Call for a transitional international mission: Under UN auspices in Gaza Strip opens the way for applying mechanisms of international humanitarian law to protect civilians, similar to previous cases such as Bosnia and East Timor, giving an international character to the Palestinian situation.

Fourth: Pressure on the United Nations to Activate Its Resolutions

One of the most important conference outcomes that posed a political and legal challenge to UN stagnation is that participating countries demand activation of Security Council resolutions and forcing Israel to comply with them.

This can lead to moving the General Assembly toward issuing strong recommendations based on the "Uniting for Peace" principle, and resubmitting Palestine's full membership application to the United Nations, after broader support from member states.

Strategic Importance

The importance of this conference's outcomes from a strategic perspective includes:

• Submitting a draft resolution to the UN General Assembly in September 2025 for recognition of a Palestinian state • Forming an international committee to implement provisions on the ground and follow up on reconstruction in Gaza Strip • Holding a follow-up meeting in Paris or Riyadh at the end of 2025

Conclusion

The legal ramifications of the conference represent a comprehensive framework:

Thus, we are on the verge of an upcoming phase titled: building and reconstructing the state.