by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – France and Saudi Arabia will convene a high-level international conference aimed at advancing the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on July 28-29, multiple diplomatic sources confirmed Friday.
The event, to be held at the United Nations headquarters in New York, was initially planned for June but was delayed due to last month’s war between Israel and Iran.
The summit–co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman–was postponed on June 13 after Israel launched a surprise military operation targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and military leadership. Iran retaliated with a series of missile strikes, escalating into a 12-day conflict that ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire on June 24.
Diplomatic sources told The Jerusalem Post, Al-Arabiya, and Reuters that the rescheduled conference will focus on mobilizing international support for a renewed peace process. Although the official agenda remains undisclosed, world leaders from Europe, North America, and the Middle East are expected to attend.
France has pushed back against Israeli claims that the conference is designed to promote unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Nevertheless, momentum is building internationally for such recognition.
A joint statement in June from the leaders of France, the United Kingdom, and Canada affirmed their commitment to the two-state vision and openness to recognizing Palestinian statehood “as a contribution” toward that goal.
During a joint press conference in London on Thursday, Macron again urged the UK to join France in recognizing Palestine, calling it “the only hope for peace.” He added, “We must unite our voices in Paris, London, and everywhere else to recognize a State of Palestine and initiate this political dynamic.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while expressing support for recognition “as part of a process,” emphasized that the immediate priority remains achieving a lasting ceasefire in Gaza.
President Donald Trump, in remarks last month, stated, “I support whatever solution we can find to get peace. There are other ideas beyond two-state, but I support what brings lasting peace. It can’t go on where every five years you end up in tragedy.” However, the Trump administration reportedly sent a diplomatic cable this week discouraging other governments from participating in the conference, according to Reuters.
The Palestinian Authority has long lobbied for international recognition of statehood as a way to bypass direct negotiations with Israel. In May 2024, Spain, Ireland, and Norway formally recognized the Palestinian state, moves Israel condemned as undermining peace efforts and rewarding Hamas following its October 7, 2023, massacre.
Macron, who has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza, believes French recognition could help tip the diplomatic balance. Diplomats argue that if a major Western power like France officially endorses Palestinian statehood, it could reshape the debate–currently driven by smaller, more critical nations.
Prophetic Significance
While many call for peace through a two-state solution, prophecy teachers often highlight a sobering warning from the book of Joel: the nations are brought to judgment because they “divided” the land (Joel 3:2) — a land God explicitly gave to the descendants of Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 26:1-6; Genesis 28:13-14; Genesis 25:10-12; Psalms 105:8-11 ) For those attuned to biblical prophecy, how this pursuit of peace unfolds carries deep and potentially dramatic prophetic significance. This is further underscored by Jesus’ command to “learn the parable of the fig tree,” widely understood as a symbol of Israel. Just as the fig tree produces early fruit in the spring and ripens fully by the fall harvest, prophecy watchers see a pattern: Israel’s modern rebirth and eventual spiritual harvest align with God’s redemptive timeline. The budding of the fig tree signals that the season is near, calling us to be alert to the times.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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