Major Developments at the U.N. General Assembly: Palestinian Statehood in Focus
This week, the United Nations General Assembly is buzzing with activity as world leaders gather to address pressing global issues. A significant portion of the discussion revolves around Palestinian statehood, a topic brought to the forefront by a conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia.
A growing number of countries are stepping forward to formally recognize Palestine as a sovereign nation. Already, 147 of the 193 U.N. member states consider Palestine a state. This Monday alone, approximately 10 more countries, including France, Belgium, Australia, Britain, Canada, and Portugal, have either recognized or are expected to recognize Palestinian statehood.
This wave of recognition is seen as a symbolic effort to revitalize the prospects of a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The ongoing conflict in Gaza, now in its second year, coupled with Israel’s expansion of settlements in the West Bank and a worsening humanitarian crisis, makes a peaceful resolution seem increasingly distant.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the urgency, stating, ‘We absolutely must do everything and mobilize as much as we can the international community to make sure that the two-state solution prevails.’ He questioned, ‘What is the alternative?’
While this diplomatic recognition is largely symbolic and unlikely to immediately alter the situation on the ground, it signals a significant alignment within the international community. It also highlights the growing isolation of the United States on this issue, as many of its Western allies pursue a different diplomatic path. Richard Gowan, U.N. director for the International Crisis Group, noted that this move ‘does underline that there is still some potential pathway to a diplomatic solution for the Palestinians, even if everyone recognizes that it is an extremely long pathway.’
Both the United States and Israel oppose the conference. They argue that recognizing a Palestinian state now would empower Hamas, especially while Israel is still engaged in conflict in Gaza and hostages from the October 7, 2023 attacks remain captive. Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, dismissed the initiative as ‘theater’ rather than ‘diplomacy.’
Prior to the conference, the General Assembly overwhelmingly ratified the ‘New York Declaration,’ a French and Saudi Arabian proposal for a Palestinian state alongside Israel. This declaration outlines ‘tangible, time-bound and irreversible steps’ toward a two-state solution and condemns both the 2023 Hamas-led attacks and Israel’s actions against civilians and infrastructure in Gaza, as well as the resulting humanitarian crisis.
Key Conference Details:
- Speakers: The three-hour conference at the U.N. General Assembly hall will feature speeches from Secretary-General Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, and representatives from various other nations. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia will address the gathering virtually.
- Palestinian Representation: Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority (which governs parts of the West Bank), will participate virtually from Ramallah. His in-person attendance was blocked after the United States denied visas to him and his delegation.
- A New Peace Strategy: Diplomats hope this conference marks a shift in peace efforts. Instead of Palestinian statehood being the final stage of negotiations, this new approach begins with its recognition, aiming to build peace from that foundation.
- Public Reaction: The U.N.’s focus on Palestinian statehood has stirred strong emotions globally. In Italy, tens of thousands protested in solidarity with Palestinians, and in France, over 50 town halls controversially raised Palestinian flags, defying government warnings, just hours before President Macron’s expected formal recognition.
France’s Local Defiance: Palestinian Flags Fly at Town Halls
In a powerful display of local sentiment, more than 50 town halls across France raised the Palestinian flag on Monday, directly challenging government directives. This symbolic action took place as President Emmanuel Macron was set to formally recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations.
According to the French Interior Ministry, 86 of the country’s nearly 35,000 municipalities participated in this gesture by Monday evening. The Interior Minister opposed these actions, citing breaches of public service neutrality and potential public disturbances. However, left-leaning mayors in major cities like Rennes, Nantes, and Lyon, alongside several Parisian suburbs, proceeded.
Olivier Faure, head of the Socialist Party, speaking from Saint-Denis town hall, stated, ‘This flag is not the flag of Hamas; it is the flag of men and women who also have the right to freedom and self-determination.’ He added that while hoisting a flag might not ‘change the region’s fate,’ it serves ‘to tell the world that France, and not just the president of the republic, support this move.’
Macron’s decision to recognize Palestinian statehood has divided France, home to significant Jewish and Muslim communities. While many on the left see it as a vital step toward peace, right-wing politicians and some within the Jewish community argue it could embolden Hamas and that statehood should only follow direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.
In some cities, like Saint-Ouen, both Israeli and Palestinian flags were flown. The previous Sunday evening, the Palestinian and Israeli flags were projected onto the Eiffel Tower, accompanied by an image of a dove holding an olive branch, symbolizing hope for peace.
What Exactly Defines a State? The Palestinian Context
The question of what constitutes a ‘state’ is central to the debate around Palestine. How can Palestinians have a state when its borders are contested, and leadership is fragmented?
International law, specifically a 1933 treaty, outlines four key criteria for statehood: a permanent population, defined territorial boundaries, a government, and the capacity to engage in international relations.
Experts in international law generally agree that Palestine meets these fundamental conditions, even with ongoing disputes. A permanent Palestinian population exists, and while borders are contested, they are generally understood to encompass Israeli-occupied territories like the West Bank and Gaza (seized in 1967), as well as East Jerusalem (effectively annexed by Israel).
The Palestinian Authority acts as a governing body for parts of the West Bank and represents Palestinians. Its creation was authorized by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which internationally represents Palestinians.
Despite limitations on the Palestinian Authority’s power due to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Hamas’s control of Gaza, international recognition would enable direct diplomatic relations between the Authority and other nations. More broadly, such recognition would acknowledge the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and challenge Israeli policies that undermine this right, as explained by Zinaida Miller, a law and international affairs professor at Northeastern University.
Highlights of the U.N. General Assembly Week
The 80th U.N. General Assembly is a crucial gathering, with over 140 world leaders and officials converging in New York to tackle pressing global issues, despite ongoing conflicts and internal budgetary challenges for the organization.
The main event, the General Debate, begins on Tuesday, featuring speeches from representatives of each member state. Beyond this, several other significant events are scheduled:
- Monday: In addition to the Palestinian statehood conference, the Security Council is expected to hold an emergency meeting regarding a recent incursion by Russian fighter jets into Estonian airspace.
- Tuesday: The Security Council will convene meetings on the war in Gaza and Middle East security (1 p.m. Eastern), followed by discussions on Ukraine (4 p.m. Eastern).
- Wednesday: Leaders will participate in a climate summit to present new commitments and discuss solutions for climate change.
- Thursday: Discussions will focus on artificial intelligence.
The assembly also provides opportunities for world leaders to hold one-on-one meetings. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed interest in meeting President Trump, and a meeting between the Russian and U.S. foreign ministers might also occur.
Notable Speakers and Key Agendas:
Tuesday, Sept. 23:
- Brazil: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva opens the debate. This follows a recent 27-year prison sentence for former President Jair Bolsonaro over a coup plot, and Lula’s defiance of U.S. pressure to drop charges.
- United States: President Trump will speak, potentially addressing the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, his domestic immigration policies, and global trade tariffs.
- Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, Egypt: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey will speak, alongside leaders from Jordan, Qatar, and Egypt. Israel’s recent airstrike targeting Hamas officials in Qatar has provoked outrage among Arab leaders.
- France: President Emmanuel Macron will discuss his diplomatic efforts to recognize Palestinian statehood and salvage a two-state solution.
- Poland: President Karol Nawrocki will address concerns over recent Russian drone incursions.
- Mexico: President Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first female president, faces U.S. pressure on trade and drug cartels.
Wednesday, Sept. 24:
- Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to speak about Russia’s invasion. Despite cautious optimism after meeting Trump, Russia’s drone attacks continue.
- Iran: President Masoud Pezeshkian will attend, following a war with Israel in June that significantly impacted Iran’s military.
- Syria: Ahmed al-Shara, Syria’s new president, makes his U.N. debut after leading a rebel alliance that ousted Bashar al-Assad.
Thursday, Sept. 25:
- Palestinian Authority: President Mahmoud Abbas will address the assembly virtually, as the Trump administration denied visas for him and his delegation. This comes amid a deepening humanitarian crisis and widespread hunger in Gaza due to Israel’s ground operation.
- Sudan: Prime Minister Kamil Idris is expected to speak, with his country engulfed in a two-year civil war.
Friday, Sept. 26:
- Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will open Friday’s speeches. He faces domestic opposition and international isolation over his Gaza war strategy and a widening rift with his country’s military leadership.
- China, Britain, India: Premier Li Qiang of China, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain, and India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar are also scheduled to speak.
- Nepal: A representative from Nepal is expected to speak, following recent violent protests that led to a change in government and the appointment of the country’s first female chief justice, Sushila Karki, as interim prime minister.
Saturday, Sept. 27:
- Canada: Prime Minister Mark Carney will address the assembly, having met with Mexico’s President Sheinbaum to devise strategies against Trump’s tariffs.
- Russia: Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov will also deliver remarks, with Russia insisting on ‘security guarantees’ before ending the war in Ukraine.
- Venezuela: Foreign Minister Yvan Gil is expected to speak amidst a significant buildup of U.S. naval forces near Venezuelan waters. The U.S. has intensified its rhetoric against drug cartels and labeled President Nicolás Maduro a ‘terrorist-cartel leader,’ accusations Maduro denies, claiming U.S. attempts to overthrow him.
Monday, Sept. 29:
- The week concludes with remarks from representatives of Afghanistan, four years after the Taliban’s return to power, and South Sudan, though specific speakers remain unconfirmed.