NEW YORK: The issues between Israel and Palestine are not insurmountable and could be resolved through a negotiated process if there is serious political will, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told Arab News on Thursday.

“Obviously, there will have to be a negotiated process between Palestine and Israel to finalize all of the outstanding issues. We don’t see these issues as insurmountable,” he said.

“If there’s serious will — and we know from the Palestinian Authority that they’re ready and will come to address these issues in a reasonable and pragmatic way — we could have a Palestinian state in relatively short order, one that’s also very much sustainable and viable, and can live in harmony with its neighbors in Israel.”

He was speaking in New York on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, where the Gaza war has dominated world leaders’ discussions.  

It was preceded by the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, which was co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France.

It resulted in the adoption of the New York Declaration, a comprehensive roadmap outlining tangible, timebound steps toward the peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The declaration, endorsed by the UNGA with overwhelming support, sets out a multi-dimensional framework addressing political governance, security, humanitarian aid, economic recovery and legal accountability.

It also calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, its reunification with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority and the exclusion of Hamas, the establishment of a temporary UN-led stabilization mission, and a halt to Israeli settlement expansion.

Prince Faisal expressed hope that the two-state solution could be realized soon, describing it as the only viable path to lasting peace and stability in the region.

“Is it in the near future? I certainly hope it is because that’s the only pathway for hope, for all of us in the region to live in security and stability in a way that’s sustainable,” he said.

Prince Faisal noted that the foundations of a future Palestinian state are already established under international law, and that a sustainable peace would require final-status negotiations to move forward in good faith.

“The building blocks are there. It’s clear in the founding UN resolutions that established the State of Israel,” he said.

“There was also a clear understanding of the foundation of the State of Palestine. The 1967 borders are understood by international law to form the borders of the state of Palestine.

On the situation in Gaza, Prince Faisal emphasized the scale of the international response and humanitarian support, but warned that reconstruction must be part of a long-term solution, not another short-term fix.

“I think we’ve seen, just by the significant outpouring of aid just for the emergency relief of Gaza, that there’s a commitment to the rebuilding of Gaza,” he said.

“But what I do want to make clear is that it’s absolutely necessary that when we transition, hopefully soon, to a ceasefire, that this won’t be a temporary state of affairs.

“I think it’s unacceptable that we come to the international community to ask them to come together to rebuild Gaza when it was destroyed by Israel, only for the potential of the situation on the ground to exist where this could all happen again.”

He stressed the need for reconstruction efforts to be sustainable and tied directly to a political resolution.

“I think it’s absolutely critical, hand in hand with the immediate relief of the situation in Gaza, that that reconstruction be ensured to be sustainable, that we do it once and for all.

“And there again comes the need for a final agreement on the status of Palestine, through the Palestinian state.”

Prince Faisal also told reporters in New York that Arab and Muslim countries made clear to US President Donald Trump the dangers of Israeli annexation of the West Bank.

“Some countries made very clear to the president the danger of annexation of any type in the West Bank and the risk that poses not just to the potential of peace in Gaza, but also to any sustainable peace at all.

“And I feel confident that President Trump understood the position of the Arab and Muslim countries.”