US calls Saudi-French UN conference on Palestine ‘publicity stunt’ as Riyadh rallies behind PA
The United Nations conference on Palestinian statehood featured strong support for the Palestinian Authority’s efforts to return to Gaza even as the Trump administration boycotted the event, calling it "ill-timed."
NEW YORK — Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan called the Palestinian Authority the “only legitimate representative” of Palestinians during a United Nations conference on the two-state solution on Monday.
What happened: The conference, chaired by Prince Faisal and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, opened at the United Nations on Monday and aims to build support for a Palestinian state.
The United States criticized the holding of the conference, calling it “unproductive and ill-timed” and a “publicity stunt.” In a statement, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said, “Far from promoting peace, the conference will prolong the war, embolden Hamas and reward its obstruction and undermine real-world efforts to achieve peace.”
The event brings together diplomats from the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa was present, but Israel and the United States chose to boycott the meeting.
The two-day conference divided participants into eight working groups that presented proposals on ways to address various issues related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including security, peace-building, potential measures taken against Israel and the rebuilding of Gaza. The working groups were co-chaired by a total of 17 countries. Representatives of the co-chairs addressed the conference in the morning, as did officials from the Arab League and the European Union.
