Israel and US to boycott UN two-state conference, Washington calls it 'publicity stunt'

Israel and the United States on Monday announced they would boycott a United Nations conference aimed at advancing a two-state solution in the Middle East, citing the ongoing war between Israel and the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hamas. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce dismissed the conference as a "publicity stunt" that empowers Hamas and undermines prospects for peace.

"This is a publicity stunt that comes in the middle of delicate diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. Far from promoting peace, the conference will prolong the war, embolden Hamas, and reward its obstruction and undermine real-world efforts to achieve peace," Bruce said in an official statement. 

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon rejected the conference as an event disconnected from the harsh Middle Eastern reality. 

"This conference does not promote a solution, but rather deepens the illusion. Instead of demanding the release of the hostages and working to dismantle Hamas's reign of terror, the conference organizers are engaging in discussions and plenaries that are disconnected from reality," Danon assessed.

However, the conference was held as planned despite the U.S. and Israeli boycott. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the conference by calling for real action in the Middle East. 

"We must ensure that it does not become another exercise in well-meaning rhetoric," Guterres stated.

"It can and must serve as a decisive turning point - one that catalyzes irreversible progress towards ending the occupation and realizing our shared aspiration for a viable two-state solution," the UN chief added. 

The UN conference on the two-state solution, which was decided in 2024, was originally scheduled to be held in June, but the event was cancelled during the 12 days of war between Israel and Iran. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud called on the participating countries at the conference to embrace a “Palestinian state” while simultaneously addressing the Jewish state’s security needs. 

France’s Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, called for an end to the war in Gaza, claiming it undermines the stability of the entire Middle East.

"We must work on the ways and means to go from the end of the war in Gaza to the end of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, at a time when this war is jeopardizing the stability and security of the entire region," Barrot argued, seemingly ignoring the Iranian regime’s aggression and destabilizing actions across the Middle East. 

The French President Emmanuel Macron recently announced that Paris intends to recognize the “State of Palestine” at the upcoming UN summit in September. 

"We must build the State of Palestine and ensure that, through its demilitarization and recognition by Israel, it contributes to the security of everyone in the Middle East," Macron stated. 

By contrast, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently announced that London would only recognize a “Palestinian state” if it were part of a “wider regional plan” to secure peace and security in the Middle East. 

The Italian Prime Minister Georgia Maloni arguing that it would be counterproductive to recognize “Palestine” before such state is de facto established. 

The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio went even further, criticizing France of rewarding Hamas aggression against Israel and disrespecting the Israeli Oct. 7 victims. 

However, the Palestinian Authority’s Prime Minister, Mohammad Mustafa, urged all participating countries at the UN conference to "recognize the state of Palestine without delay," adding, "The path to peace starts with recognizing the state of Palestine and preserving it from destruction."

“The rights of all peoples must be respected; the sovereignty of all states must be ensured. Palestine and its people can no longer be the exception,” the senior PA official said. He notably refrained from mentioning that multiple Middle Eastern regimes – including Iran, the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, and Syria – do not recognize Israel’s right to exist as the homeland of the Jewish people. He also ignored the fact that the Arab side has repeatedly rejected the two-state solution, instead focusing on efforts to eliminate Israel altogether.

However, he called on PA’s rival Hamas to relinquish its power in Gaza and disarm its forces. 

“Hamas must relinquish its control over the strip and handover its weapons to the Palestinian Authority,” Mustafa stated, arguing that “the State of Palestine is the only holder of the right to rule the entire Gaza Strip.”