UN Chief: Palestine Statehood is a Right, Not a Reward | Implementing Two-State Solution

The Unresolved Conflict and the Two-State Solution

• 🎯 The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has persisted for generations, with faltered dialogue, flouted resolutions, and breached international law, creating an intolerable and deteriorating situation.
• 💡 The only way out is a two-state solution, where independent, sovereign states of Israel and Palestine coexist peacefully within pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both, in line with international law and UN resolutions.
• 📌 The UN welcomes measures by member states to support the two-state solution, including pledges to recognize the state of Palestine.

Condemnation of Violence and Call for Action

• ⚠️ The horrific October 7th terror attacks by Hamas and the taking of hostages are unequivocally condemned, as is any form of collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
• 💔 The systematic destruction of Gaza, starvation, and the killing of tens of thousands of civilians, including humanitarian workers, are unacceptable.
• 🕊️ An immediate and permanent ceasefire, unconditional release of hostages, and unimpeded humanitarian access are urgently called for.

Threats to the Two-State Solution

• 🚧 Developments in the West Bank, including the relentless expansion of settlements, creeping annexation, and intensified settler violence, pose an existential threat to the two-state solution and must cease.
• ⚖️ The current situation is morally, legally, and politically intolerable, demanding a recommitment to the two-state solution before it is too late.

The Alternative and the Right to Statehood

• ❓ The alternative to a two-state solution is a one-state scenario where Palestinians are denied rights, expelled, and live under perpetual occupation and discrimination, which is unacceptable in the 21st century.
• 🚀 Statehood for Palestinians is a right, not a reward, and denying it empowers extremists and will prevent peace in the Middle East.
• 🌍 Without a two-state solution, radicalism will spread globally, and Israel will face increasing isolation.

A Turning Point for Peace

• ✨ This conference must be a turning point, paving the way for irreversible progress to end the illegal occupation and achieve the collective aspiration for a two-state solution.
• 🤝 Achieving this requires difficult decisions, courage, and leadership based on principles from all sides, for the benefit of Israelis, Palestinians, and humankind.