French President Emmanuel Macron must move swiftly to set a new date for a UN conference on Palestinian statehood after the Iran-Israel war derailed plans to hold it on Tuesday, activists have told The National.
Mr Macron had said he may recognise a Palestinian state during the conference co-chaired with Saudi Arabia, raising some hope European countries would follow suit and increase diplomatic pressure on Israel to accept the proposal.
The Iranian-Israeli conflict and track is itself part of the wider sort of issue emanating from the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict
John Lyndon,
Allmep executive director
The French President has vowed to push on with diplomatic efforts to achieve a two-state solution despite the delay, which he justified by saying that neither Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas nor Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman could fly to New York after Israel bombed Iran on Friday. The attack has triggered retaliatory attacks and the closure of the airspace of several countries in the region.
Peace organisations who came to Paris for a conference on Friday on the two-state solution will be campaigning to ensure he delivers on his promise, said Brussels-based activist Dan Sobovitz, who took part in the meeting that was organised to contribute to this week's conference in New York.
About 400 participants in Friday's conference were invited to the Elysee Palace to talk to the President, who reportedly told them he remained focused on supporting Palestinian statehood. "His main message was: you can count on me," Mr Sobovitz told The National. "He should commit to a date." The next UN General Assembly meeting is scheduled for September.
In a closed-door meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, the organisers of Friday's conference, the Alliance for Middle East Peace (Allmep), a network of 170 civil society organisations, highlighted concerns that the Palestinian issue would be sidelined by the latest Iran-Israel escalation. At least 15 Palestinians were killed on Sunday by Israeli fire near an aid centre in Gaza, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed in the enclave since October 2023 to more than 55,200.
"The number one priority has to be ending Gaza's war," said John Lyndon, Allmep's executive director. "The situation between Iran and Israel is deeply concerning. It's incredibly destabilising for the region, but the Iranian-Israeli conflict and track is itself part of the wider sort of issue emanating from the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
France may reorganise the conference in the "coming weeks", Mr Barrot said, without giving a date. "The momentum is unstoppable," he told TV network Public Senat.
Israel's ally
For now, most French politicians, including Mr Macron, have rallied behind Israeli claims that the bombing was justified because of its right to defend itself in the face of Iran's nuclear programme. Some have called on President to remain focused on Palestine.
The French government views Iran's nuclear programme as an existential threat for Europe and Israel, and Paris's relations with Tehran have become increasingly tense over Iran's three-year long detention of two French citizens in conditions "akin to torture". Last week, the UN nuclear watchdog's 35-nation board of governors declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in almost 20 years.
"France must take Iran's threats against Israel seriously, while at the same time pushing for a solution to the Palestinian problem," Raphael Glucksmann, a leading socialist politician, said in an interview with national broadcaster TF1 on Monday.
Some French analysts suggest Mr Macron had been struggling to gain momentum for the New York conference. Delaying it may give him more time to rally international support after a US campaign to discourage states from taking part.
The President's initial hope of a "mutual recognition process" involving more Arab countries establishing ties with Israel, alongside other western countries, faced difficulties as Gaza ceasefire talks broke down.
"It's catastrophic that once again, the decade-old Israeli-Palestinian question is pushed aside and taken hostage by war," said international affairs commentator Pierre Haski.
"Postponing the conference is also a way of not exposing oneself to failure, though comments made both by Mr Macron and Mr Barrot show they're strongly committed to the idea of holding the conference considering the amount of energy and political capital they've invested in it," Mr Haski told The National.
Shaddad Al Attili, head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's negotiation unit, welcomed the delay, saying the Iran-Israel war would have overshadowed any announcements. "In these conditions, it's best to wait," he said.
No empty gestures
Yet the latest war has left many peace activists – both Palestinian and Israeli – wondering what comes next, as concerns mount over regional instability. One Palestinian NGO worker, who asked to remain anonymous due to online threats to participants of Friday's conference, said the postponement was understandable given that Palestinian cities including Ramallah and Jericho had been closed by Israel because of the Iranian attacks.
"It's a horrible time," they said, speaking from Ramallah after returning from Paris via Jordan. "The bombings are not just on Tel Aviv, they're also near us." About 224 people in Iran, including senior officials and nuclear scientists, have been killed in Israeli bombing since Friday, and 24 in Israel have died in Iranian missile attacks.
In Israel, Mr Macron's two-state solution initiative has been rejected by the government and viewed by many as a hostile move.
Many Israeli peace activists who took part in Friday's conference were left stranded in Paris by the closure of Israeli airspace, which remains in place. "Recognition is too important to be offered as an empty gesture. It needs to be done at a time when people can give priority to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," Israeli analyst Gil Murciano told The National. "It should be used as a tool to promote a two-state solution. Right now, people care about whether they'll be alive tomorrow."
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OPENING FIXTURES
Saturday September 12
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Fulham v Arsenal
Liverpool v Leeds United
Tottenham v Everton
West Brom v Leicester
West Ham v Newcastle
Monday September 14
Brighton v Chelsea
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To be rescheduled
Burnley v Manchester United
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Pakistan Super League
Previous winners
2016 Islamabad United
2017 Peshawar Zalmi
2018 Islamabad United
2019 Quetta Gladiators
Most runs Kamran Akmal – 1,286
Most wickets Wahab Riaz –65
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
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Formula One top 10 drivers' standings after Japan
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 306
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 234
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 192
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 148
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 111
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 82
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 65
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 48
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 34
The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT
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Engine 8.4L V10
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Most match wins on clay
Guillermo Vilas - 659
Manuel Orantes - 501
Thomas Muster - 422
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Ilie Nastase - 338
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Lexus LX700h specs
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The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
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World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
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ENGLAND TEAM
Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (captain), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
England Test squad
Ben Stokes (captain), Joe Root, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts
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Sole survivors
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GAC GS8 Specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
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Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
