The time for peace has come: Macron
“We have gathered here because the time has come,” President Macron says at the UN.
“The time has come to free the hostages, the time has come to stop the war, massacres and the fleeing people. “The time has come because there’s a pressing urgency everywhere. The time for peace has come."
“We are few moments away from no longer being able to seize peace. And that’s why we’ve gathered here.”
France recognises the State of Palestine
“This is the very reason today here, in this chamber, we must pave the way for peace,” Macron adds. “It falls on us, this responsibility, to do everything in our power to preserve the possibility of two-state solution.
“Today, I declare that France recognises the State of Palestine.”
Israel, USA envoys not present at the conference
As President Macron announced the recognition of the State of Palestine at a conference ahead of the UN General Assembly, envoys from the US and Israel were both missing from the event.
Saudi Arabia says Israel’s actions ‘threatens regional and international peace’
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud thanked President Macron and UN chief Antonio Guterres for their efforts towards achieving a two-state solution and “for recognising the state of Palestine”.
He said the conference, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, comes at a time when “the Israeli occupation authorities continue their aggression and their brutal crimes” against Palestinians in Gaza “and its violations in the West Bank and its repeated attacks on Arab and Muslim countries, with the most recent attack on Qatar”.
“These actions underline Israel’s insistence on continuing aggressive practices that threaten regional and international peace and stability and undermine efforts of peace in the region,” he said.
Faisal stressed that a two-state solution is “the only way to achieve just and lasting peace”. noting that the General Assembly’s New York Declaration had been adopted with 142 votes in favour, reflecting “the will of the international community to render justice to the Palestinian people”.
