CMEP Bulletin: “Peace = 2-States,” says World at Paris Conference.
Paris Peace Conference Urges Israel, Palestinians To Recommit To Two-State Solution [BICOM]
A concluding statement released by delegates to the January 15 Paris conference on Middle East peace said that a two-state solution “is the only way to achieve enduring peace”. It called on both sides to “officially restate their commitment to the two-state solution, thus disassociating themselves from voices that reject this solution” and to “reverse the current negative trends on the ground including continued acts of violence and ongoing settlement activity.” The statement also called on both sides to refrain from “unilateral steps that prejudge the outcome of negotiations on final status issues including Jerusalem, borders, security and refugees.”
World Leaders Push Israel and Trump to Forge a 2-State Deal [The New York Times]
According to The New York Times, “An effort by France to give impetus to the stalled Israeli Palestinian peace process through an international conference always faced long odds. But with an incoming American president who has vowed to support Israel no matter what, the project seemed even more quixotic. As senior representatives from 70 countries gathered in Paris on Sunday and endorsed anew a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, what they had to offer was mostly symbolic. Still, that symbol was clear: Though peace efforts seemed doomed, the leaders, representing every European nation, were signaling that they still saw them as critical — and putting President-elect Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on notice that the process could be ignored only at their peril.”
Read Full Concluding Statement of Paris Peace Conference [Haaretz]
“Middle East Peace Conference Joint Declaration:
Following the Ministerial meeting held in Paris on 3 June 2016, the Participants met in Paris on 15 January 2017 to reaffirm their support for a just, lasting and comprehensive resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They reaffirmed that a negotiated solution with two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, is the only way to achieve enduring peace.” Click here to continue reading the “Middle East Peace Conference Joint Declaration.”
Mixed Palestinian Reactions In the Wake of Paris Summit [Ma’an]
According to Ma’an, “Palestinian and foreign officials had mixed reactions following a summit held in Paris on Sunday, with some expressing doubt at the likelihood that a new round of international negotiations would help reach a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas thanked the French government as well as all countries which participated in the summit, saying that the conference confirmed the international commitment to a two-state solution and the rejection of Israel’s illegal settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory.”