Egypt Daily News – The upcoming Friday meeting in Madrid, organized by the Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, seeks to revitalize discussions surrounding the two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Attending this gathering will be foreign ministers from various Islamic and European nations, as well as the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, and members of the Arab Islamic Contact Group focused on the situation in the Gaza Strip.
The two-state solution has been a longstanding proposal, originating from the Madrid Conference in 1991 and solidified by the Oslo Accords in the early 1990s. Despite this historical context, progress towards peace has seen significant stagnation in recent years.
The urgency for a resolution has intensified due to an ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, which has escalated violence not only in Gaza but also in the occupied West Bank.
On May 28, Spain, Norway, and Ireland officially recognized a Palestinian state, which includes Gaza and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem designated as its capital. This acknowledgment brings the total to 146 UN member states that recognize Palestine as a state.
In a previous diplomatic meeting related to the situation in Gaza, Albares and the Arab-Islamic contact group evaluated steps to effectively implement the two-state solution.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has underscored the necessity of coexisting sovereign states as the sole path to peace in the region.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide noted that Palestine’s Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa will be part of the discussions and highlighted critical issues that must be addressed, such as establishing a Palestinian state, enhancing Palestinian institutions, and the need to dismantle Hamas to cease its military activities.
Eide also mentioned the importance of normalizing relations between Israel and several countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, as a crucial factor for Israel’s security.
The Arab Islamic Contact Group itself is a collective formed by the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation, with representatives from countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey.
