Israeli and Palestinian activists take peace proposals to G7 leaders

Israeli and Palestinian civil society leaders gathered in Paris on Friday to draw up recommendations for G7 leaders, as supporters of a two-state solution warned that prospects for a negotiated settlement are under increasing pressure.

More than 150 activists, peacebuilders and representatives of civil society organisations attended the Paris Call for the Two-State Solution conference, hosted by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and attended by foreign ministers and senior officials from dozens of countries.

Among those taking part was Yonatan Zeigen, the son of Israeli peace activist Vivian Silver, who was murdered by Hamas during the 7 October attacks on Kibbutz Be’eri.

The meeting came a year after the first Paris Call conference, which brought Israeli and Palestinian civil society representatives together to support a negotiated settlement based on Israel and a future Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security.

According to the French Foreign Ministry, conditions have worsened significantly since then. Officials pointed to the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, continued settlement expansion in the West Bank and a broader regional conflict that has pushed the Israeli-Palestinian issue further down the international agenda.

Ahead of the conference, a French Foreign Ministry spokesperson said: “Given the current situation in the region, marked by seemingly endless conflicts, too many civilian casualties and a cycle of violence, and in light of the stalled implementation of the Gaza ceasefire … we believe this conference is now more essential and urgent than ever.”

The conference was organised in partnership with the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP), a network of more than 200 Israeli and Palestinian organisations, as well as the groups Guerrières de la Paix and Principles for Peace.

Participants were divided into five working groups focusing on security, humanitarian recovery and reconstruction in Gaza, implementation of a two-state solution, democracy and reform, and regional integration.

Discussions covered security guarantees for Israelis and Palestinians, reconstruction in Gaza, strengthening Palestinian institutions, tackling hate speech and expanding regional cooperation after the war.

The recommendations developed during the conference are being submitted to leaders attending this week’s G7 summit in Évian.

Delegates also presented their proposals directly to French, Canadian and British ministers during the conference before wider discussions with representatives from almost 50 countries. The gathering coincided with the announcement of a new International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace backed by the UK, Australia and Canada.

French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said the aim was to ensure voices supporting peace continued to be heard.

“We want to remind people that there are voices in both Israel and Palestine calling for peace, courageous voices that believe in the two-State solution and are actively working to make it a reality,” he said.

According to Reuters, a draft action plan discussed at the conference called for a permanent ceasefire, reconstruction in Gaza, governance reforms and stronger international backing for civil society groups working on peacebuilding.

The draft also warned that settlement expansion and violence in the West Bank were threatening the prospects of a future Palestinian state.

“The region continues to fracture. Gaza is devastated, Israel remains under threat. Settler terrorism, settlement expansion, and de facto annexation and threats to the Palestinian Authority continue to undermine the viability of a future Palestinian state,” it stated.

It added: “Israelis and Palestinians alike remain trapped in fear, insecurity, and trauma.”

Israel did not officially participate in the conference. Reuters reported that the Israeli embassy in Paris declined the invitation, saying the event “has nothing to do with promoting peace”.

The embassy also argued that France could not act as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians and noted that previous proposals for Palestinian statehood had been rejected by Palestinian leaders.

Delegates included representatives from organisations such as EcoPeace Middle East, Project Rozana and the Geneva Initiative, alongside dozens of other groups involved in Israeli-Palestinian dialogue and peacebuilding initiatives.

The conference was held as international attention remained focused on the war in Gaza and rising tensions in the West Bank.