NEW YORK: The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Friday to adopt the “New York Declaration,” a resolution aimed at reviving the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine without involving Hamas.
The resolution passed with 142 votes in favor, 10 against — including Israel and the US —and 12 abstentions. It strongly condemns Hamas for the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, demands the group disarm and free all hostages, and calls for collective international action to end the war in Gaza.
Formally titled the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, the resolution was presented jointly by Saudi Arabia and France and had prior endorsement from the Arab League and 17 UN member states.
The declaration underscores the necessity of Hamas ending its rule in Gaza, with its weapons turned over to the Palestinian Authority under international supervision, as part of a broader roadmap toward lasting peace. This plan includes a ceasefire, Palestinian statehood, Hamas disarmament, and normalization of relations between Israel and Arab countries.
French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont, who introduced the resolution, described it as “a single roadmap to deliver the two-state solution,” emphasizing commitments by the Palestinian Authority and Arab nations to peace and security. He also highlighted the importance of an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages.
The vote comes ahead of a high-level UN summit co-chaired by Riyadh and Paris on Sept. 22, where French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to formally recognize a Palestinian state.
The US representative, Morgan Ortagus, sharply opposed the resolution, calling it a “misguided and ill-timed publicity stunt” that rewards Hamas and undermines genuine diplomatic efforts.
She criticized the declaration’s language endorsing the so-called “right of return,” warning it threatens Israel’s status as a Jewish state.
“This resolution is a gift to Hamas,” Ortagus said, adding that disarming Hamas and releasing hostages is the key to ending the war. She urged other nations to join the US in opposing the declaration.
