UN Assembly approves Saudi-French proposal to resume two-state summit on Sept. 22

The UN General Assembly has voted to resume the high-level international summit on the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, reviving a diplomatic process that was abruptly suspended on July 30 amid rising violence in the Middle East.

The decision, adopted Friday during the 80th session of the General Assembly, was based on a joint proposal by Saudi Arabia and France. The resumed session of the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine is now scheduled for September 22 and will convene at the level of heads of state and government.

The initiative faced strong resistance from both Israel and the United States, who formally disassociated themselves from the decision and criticized the move as lacking legitimacy and undermining genuine peace efforts.

Speaking on behalf of Riyadh and Paris before the vote, Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the UN, Abdulaziz Alwasil, said, “The initiative was not aimed at any particular side or party but was a reflection of our shared commitment to uphold international law and relevant UN resolutions.”

“The situation on the ground in Palestine has never been more dire. Escalating violence, deepening humanitarian suffering and the erosion of hope for peace all underscore the urgency of our collective responsibility", said Alwasil.

"This process cannot be allowed to stall", he added.

"The resumption of the conference is a substantive commitment by the international community to act with resolve, consistency and responsibility".

Israel, however, condemned the vote and accused backers of the proposal of using “procedural bullying” to advance a politically motivated agenda.

“This is not a serious attempt at peacemaking, it is a performance, a publicity stunt”, said the Israeli representative.

“Far from advancing peace, it threatens to prolong the war, embolden Hamas and undermine real diplomatic efforts".

The Israeli envoy also warned that such international gestures risk sending the wrong message to armed groups.

“Terrorist groups such as Hamas have publicly praised recent international initiatives, interpreting them as validation of their tactics”, the representative added.

Echoing Israel’s objections, the United States also expressed deep concern over the vote and announced it would not take part in the resumed conference.

“We were surprised and dismayed to see this proposal added to the agenda only yesterday”, the US envoy said.

The US described the move as an “ill-timed publicity stunt,” warning that the effort could backfire.

Despite opposition, the resolution passed. Preparations are now underway to host leaders and top officials in New York later this month.