With great fanfare, a conference led by France and the Saudis at the United Nations attempted to promote the recognition of Palestinian statehood in the framework of a two-state solution — or, as Israel saw it, the participants want to “feel like they’re doing something.”

Israel and America were absent from the conference led by President Emmanuel Macron of France, which was beset by audio interruptions. A day earlier, London, Ottawa, Canberra, and others “answered our call,” Mr. Macron said, as along with more than 150 countries he announced the long-anticipated recognition of a Palestinian state.

While Riyadh sponsored the conference, the Saudi crown prince, Mohamed bin Salman, was not in the room. Instead, the country’s foreign minister, Faisal bin Farhan, read a statement from the prince known as MbS. 

“We just want to help the Palestinians,” the secretary general of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, told the Sun. While supporters at the conference promoted a “peaceful” Palestine situated next to Israel, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority said: “The state of Palestine is the only entity eligible to assume full responsibility for governance and security in Gaza.” 

Mr. Abbas spoke via a video link from Ramallah, as the Department of State denied him a visa to address the UN General Assembly’s annual debate. The UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, denounced the American move.  

At the same time that Mr. Abbas promised the “dawn of freedom and liberty” in Palestine, and envisioned a state that will be democratic, peaceful, and obligated to equality for all, a war in Gaza is raging. The group that started the war, Hamas, is declining to disarm. As many as 48 hostages, including an estimated 20 living ones, are held by the organization, which is widely recognized as a terrorist group. 

According to unconfirmed reports, Hamas has written a letter to President Trump that details a new proposal: the release of half the living hostages in return for a 60-day cease-fire. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr. Trump had already said they would no longer agree to partial deals, saying they will accept only the release of all the hostages at once, accompanied by the disarming of Hamas. 

“I have seen the report,” the Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, told the Sun, adding that Israel would only accept the release of all hostages. “We are putting more pressure now on Gaza City,” he said. Hamas knows that “we will not stop until we get all the hostages back home.” In contrast to the conferees at the UN hall, “what we are doing on the ground, that’s for real,” he said. 

“With all due respect,” Mr. Danon added, “Macron, the Elysee cannot give instruction to Hamas. So it’s easier to come here, make statements, take pictures. They feel they are doing something, but they are not promoting peace. On the contrary, they are supporting terrorism.”

Mr. Macon and the other participants reiterated that their drive for Palestinian statehood will strengthen a reformed Palestinian Authority. Mr. Abbas vowed such reforms in a letter to Paris, and “France will pay close attention to the full implementation of all of the commitments made to us,” Mr. Macron said.

According to the French president, Mr. Abbas promised a Hamas “dismantlement and disarmament.” Mr. Guterres also distanced himself from the terror organization. “Hamas is not calling for a two-state solution,” his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said. “For the secretary-general, two states, living side by side in peace and security, is a necessity for the peaceful future of the region.”

Yet, Hamas spokesmen enthusiastically endorsed the global drive for recognition of a Palestinian state, boasting that it is the result of its October 7, 2023, atrocities.

“President Macron’s announcement about recognizing a Palestinian state was welcomed by Hamas,” Secretary Marco Rubio said in a statement. It “only emboldens Hamas, encourages its obstruction of a ceasefire, and greatly undercuts our diplomatic efforts to end the suffering in Gaza.”  

While Britain, Canada, Australia, and others jumped on the bandwagon in a joint recognition of Palestine on Sunday, other major countries, like Japan, Germany, and Italy, declined to do so. Nor was London amply rewarded for its gesture. 

According to a Daily Mail report, Mr. Abbas is now demanding Britain pay reparations amounting to $2.7 trillion for occupying a Palestinian land between 1917 and 1948. He based his demand on “international law” — which was also widely cited by the speakers of the conference as their basis for recognizing Palestine.