UN General Assembly Overwhelmingly Endorses Two-State Solution Amid Israeli Rejection

The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly voted to support a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, urging Israel to commit to the establishment of a Palestinian state. The nonbinding resolution, approved by a vote of 142-10 with 12 abstentions, endorses the “New York Declaration,” which outlines a phased plan to resolve the nearly 80-year conflict.

The vote comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently opposes the formation of a Palestinian state, declaring hours before the resolution, “there will be no Palestinian state.” Netanyahu further underscored his stance by signing an agreement to expand settlements in the West Bank, a territory Palestinians insist must be part of their future state.

Sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, the resolution follows a high-level conference in late July where the declaration was initially approved. The ongoing nearly two-year war in Gaza and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict are expected to dominate discussions at the upcoming annual General Assembly gathering, set to begin on September 22.

Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour hailed the resolution as a reflection of the international community’s “yearning… to open the door for the option of peace.” Conversely, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon dismissed the resolution as “theater” and a “hollow gesture” that only benefits Hamas. The United States, Israel’s closest ally, also reiterated its opposition, with U.S. Mission counselor Morgan Ortagus calling it a “misguided and ill-timed publicity stunt” and a “gift to Hamas.”

The declaration itself condemns Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks on civilians while also criticizing Israel’s actions against civilians and infrastructure in Gaza, including its “siege and starvation.” It envisions the Palestinian Authority governing all Palestinian territory, with a transitional administrative committee established post-ceasefire, and calls for Hamas to end its rule in Gaza. Furthermore, the declaration supports an international stabilization mission under U.N. auspices and urges countries to recognize the state of Palestine as an “essential and indispensable component” of achieving the two-state solution.

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