Conditional Promise from France to Recognize the State of Palestine

On Friday, February 9, France announced that if a new international conference for peace between Israel and the Palestinians reaches a deadlock, Paris will recognize the state of Palestine in advance of its independence. According to Reuters, Laurent Fabius, the French Foreign Minister, stated that his country is considering holding an international conference aimed at resuming the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. Mr. Fabius mentioned that France's actions will begin in the coming weeks and that Paris will coordinate with other European countries, the United States, and Arab nations on this matter. The last serious round of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians took place in the final months of Ehud Olmert's government, although until 2014, under U.S. pressure, fruitless contacts continued between the parties involved in this long-standing conflict. The Israeli government has not been able to respond officially to France's initiative due to 'Shabbat,' the holy Saturday for Jews, during which, according to the coalition government's guidelines, the Prime Minister and government members are not allowed to give interviews. However, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, had previously rejected France's earlier proposals in this regard. Meanwhile, Israeli media reported on Saturday that some Knesset members considered France's intention as an 'ultimatum' and would reject it. The Zionist Union, the main opposition faction in Israel, whose leader Isaac Herzog recently met with French officials in Paris, stated that France's proposal is a result of Netanyahu's government's inaction. On the other hand, Saeb Erekat, the Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee and former head of the Palestinian delegation in negotiations with Israel, welcomed France's initiative. According to Palestinian media, Mr. Erekat stated on Saturday, February 10, that representatives of the Palestinian government will immediately contact governments to advance this plan. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for the Palestinian presidency, also stated that undoubtedly recognizing Palestine as a state would contribute to peace and stability in the region. Meanwhile, AFP reported that Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, announced on Friday that Palestinians are set to launch a new campaign in the organization to resume the peace process. Mr. Mansour said it is unacceptable for 2016 to pass without action, and the doors of hope for achieving a two-state solution must remain open. According to the Oslo peace agreement in 1993, which led to the establishment of self-governing authority in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Palestine was supposed to gain independence within five years. However, 23 years later, not only has Palestine not achieved independence, but several waves of violence and severe wars between the parties have resulted in thousands of casualties. Over the years, Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank has also increased, precisely in the lands where the state of Palestine was supposed to be established. France's proposal for holding a peace conference and the Palestinians' intention to create a new campaign at the United Nations come at a time when a new wave of violence has overshadowed the lives of Israelis and Palestinians. In the past five months, 30 Israelis have been victims of street knife attacks by Palestinians, and in Israel's swift response to the attackers, more than 160 Palestinians, mostly teenagers and young people aged 15 to 25, have been killed.