By John Irish
PARIS, June 12 (Reuters) – Israeli and Palestinian civil society groups delivered an appeal in France on Friday to urge the international community not to abandon a two-state solution, as Paris seeks to keep the issue alive amid the Middle East war.
The meeting brought together foreign ministers and senior officials from dozens of countries alongside civil society groups. It marks one year since the U.N.-backed New York Declaration, which set out a roadmap toward Palestinian statehood and prompted around a dozen countries, including France, Britain and Canada, to recognise a Palestinian state.
“We could find every reason in the world to give up. But you are here! Your testimonies alone are grounds for hope and action,” France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told 250 civil society representatives from both sides.
“France refuses to let the side of war prevail over the side of peace.”
The gathering ended with an eight-point “Call for Action” urging a permanent ceasefire, a halt to settlements, Gaza reconstruction, governance reforms and stronger international backing for civil society.
It will be delivered to the G7 leaders who meet in the French Alps from Monday.
“The region continues to fracture. Gaza is devastated, Israel remains under threat. Settler terrorism, settlement expansion, and de facto annexation and threats to the Palestinian Authority continue to undermine the viability of a future Palestinian state,” according to the action plan.
“Israelis and Palestinians alike remain trapped in fear, insecurity, and trauma. We return because, as the G7 convenes in Evian, this conflict risks once again being set aside. The window for a solution remains open; but it is narrowing.”
ANGER IN WEST OVER SETTLER VIOLENCE
The conference comes amid escalating violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and underscores anger in many Western countries toward Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which has expanded settlements.
Diplomats say that expansion is aimed at undermining prospects for a Palestinian state.
A key concern is Israel’s plan to build a settlement east of Jerusalem, known as the E1 project, which would bisect the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, fragmenting territory Palestinians seek for an independent state.
“The two-state solution remains the only viable path to bringing lasting peace to the Middle East,” European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. “The situation in the West Bank is equally alarming. Illegal Israeli settlements continue to expand at an unprecedented pace, and settler violence is increasing without sufficient accountability.”
Britain, Canada, France and Norway announced new coordinated sanctions on Tuesday against Israeli networks involved in financing, enabling and carrying out violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Israel and the United States declined to attend the meeting in Paris.
“The ambassador was invited but will not attend the conference, as it has nothing to do with promoting peace,” the Israeli embassy said in a statement.
“France cannot act as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians. Regarding the two-state solution, the ambassador recalls that the Palestinians have rejected proposals to establish a Palestinian state on five occasions.”
(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Susan Fenton)
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