The United Nations General Assembly has made an important decision to restart a high-level international conference focused on the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. This conference, which aims to promote peace in the Middle East, will now take place on September 22. The move marks a restart of discussions that were paused earlier this summer because of rising violence in Gaza and the broader conflict in the region.
The UN General Assembly adopted this decision after Saudi Arabia proposed to bring back the conference, officially called the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine. The goal of this meeting is to promote a peaceful solution where both Israel and Palestine can coexist peacefully, in two separate states.
However, not everyone agrees with restarting the conference. Both Israel and the United States expressed strong opposition to the move. The US specifically said it would not take part in the conference, calling it counterproductive and saying it could actually make the situation worse in Gaza. American officials believe that resuming the talks at this time might give Hamas more strength and fuel ongoing violence.
Ting Wu, a US representative at the UN, explained that the US opposes both the conference and the decision to restart it. She criticized the way the issue was added to the UN agenda, saying there was a lack of transparency about the proposal’s details, costs, and chances of success. Wu also called the timing “ill-timed,” arguing that rushing the conference to revive talks could do more harm than good.
Wu made it clear that the US’s priority remains working for peace through real diplomatic efforts — not staged conferences that may only serve as political showpieces. She emphasized that the US wants to focus on ending the conflict, helping victims in Gaza, and securing the release of hostages, rather than participating in events that might prolong the violence.
The decision to restart the conference during the UN General Assembly’s high-level week is significant because it provides a chance for more world leaders to attend and discuss the situation. However, whether Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be able to attend remains uncertain, as the US has reportedly placed a visa ban on Palestinian officials.
This development highlights the complex and tense situation in the Middle East, with international efforts for peace facing both support and opposition. The coming weeks will be crucial in shaping how the global community approaches the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
