France and Saudi Arabia co-hosted an international summit in Paris on Monday that put the two-state solution back at the centre of Middle East diplomacy. Leaders from Europe, Asia, and the Arab world promised to recognise Palestine more, and some countries are getting ready to make that official.
The move comes after last week’s deadly Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, which made things even worse. Israel and the United States did not attend the summit because they said that recognising the other side without negotiations would not end the war.
In a speech to delegates, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for everyone to support statehood. The summit was the biggest show of international support for a Palestinian state so far.
