ISTANBUL
France will bring together Israeli and Palestinian civil society representatives in Paris next week to reaffirm support for a two-state solution and advance efforts toward the recognition and establishment of a Palestinian state, the French foreign minister said on Thursday.
Speaking via video message to a gathering of Israeli and Palestinian civil society actors in Tel Aviv, Jean-Noel Barrot described the upcoming meeting, scheduled for June 12, as “a very important rendezvous for peace.”
“It will bring together representatives of Israeli and Palestinian civil society to reaffirm our collective commitment to implementing the two-state solution,” he said.
The event will take place one year after the launch of the Paris Appeal and one year after France and around 10 other countries recognized the State of Palestine, a move Barrot described as a “major decision.”
According to the French minister, recommendations emerging from the June 12 gathering will contribute to discussions at the G7 summit, which France is hosting this year in Evian.
“Our ambition is clear. We want to generate a new call to action to advance the recognition and effective implementation of a Palestinian state,” he said.
Barrot stressed the importance of civil society’s role in peacebuilding, saying local organizations and activists are often best positioned to understand the needs, aspirations and concerns of both Israelis and Palestinians.
“Your action is indispensable because you know the realities on the ground better than anyone else,” he said.
The minister said discussions ahead of the Paris meeting have focused on five key areas: security for Israelis and Palestinians, humanitarian assistance and Gaza’s reconstruction, implementation of the two-state solution and responses to annexation threats, promoting narratives in support of peace, and democracy, reforms and regional integration.
He said the work would be guided by principles outlined in the New York Declaration and would help shape future diplomatic initiatives.
“The challenge is immense: enabling two states, Israel and Palestine, to live side by side in peace and security,” Barrot said.
He also pledged that France would continue working with both Israeli and Palestinian partners to advance peace efforts in the region.
