UN General Assembly Declares: Two States, One Declaration, Many Opinions

The Annual Gathering of the World’s Most Prolific Resolution Writers

At the United Nations General Assembly, where the décor is permanent and the aspirations are, well, perpetually pending, 142 nations recently held a popularity contest disguised as a vote. The subject: a declaration vowing “tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps” toward the ever-elusive two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. The declaration, a robust seven pages (because nothing says urgency like a document that can be skimmed over lunch), emerged from a July conference hosted by Saudi Arabia and France—two countries who, when not discussing oil and pastries, apparently moonlight as peace brokers.

The United States and Israel RSVP’d “not attending,” perhaps worried the buffet wouldn’t meet dietary requirements or, more likely, objecting to the guest list.

Votes, Votes, and More Abstentions

The numbers: 142 in favor, 10 opposed, and 12 abstentions—the diplomatic equivalent of “don’t @ me.” The event was timed with the annual gathering of world leaders, ensuring that everyone would be in town, and no one could claim to have missed the invite.

Condemnations All Around: A Balanced Diet of Disapproval

In a rare feat of international multitasking, the declaration manages to condemn both Hamas for its October 7 attacks on Israel and Israel for its counterstrikes in Gaza, which have led to humanitarian devastation. The document also throws in a condemnation of siege and starvation, because in the world of diplomacy, one must never appear to be playing favorites—even when everyone knows exactly who everyone else’s favorites are.

A Chorus of Recognition (and Some Booing From the Balcony)

Britain, France, Canada, Australia, and Belgium are expected to formally recognize a Palestinian state, presumably after ensuring their pens work and their ceremonial folders are photogenic. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Israel, joined by a curious assortment of Pacific islands and a couple of South American countries, voted “no,” united by a shared skepticism of declarations that promise much and deliver…well, declarations.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot declared this a milestone: for the first time, the UN had condemned Hamas by name, and called for its surrender and disarmament. The endorsement from Gulf Arab states suggests a rare moment of regional alignment, or at least a fleeting consensus that someone, somewhere, ought to do something.

The War Must End—Now! (Or, at Least, Before the Next Resolution)

The declaration, in its most resolute font, insists the war in Gaza “must end now,” and proposes an international stabilization mission, presumably staffed by diplomats with strong nerves and even stronger coffee.

The U.S., never shy with adjectives, dismissed the vote as a “misguided and ill-timed publicity stunt”—which, coming from a country fluent in electoral theater, is high praise indeed. Israel, for its part, called the proceedings “theater,” but without specifying whether it was a tragedy, farce, or improv night.

The Numbers: Humanity’s Grim Tally

The toll: 1,200 killed and 251 taken hostage in Israel on October 7, and over 64,000 killed in Gaza since, with the vast majority civilians, according to local authorities. If numbers could negotiate peace, this would be over already.

Conclusion: Declarations Abound, Peace Still on Backorder

Thus, the world’s diplomats return to their hotels, suitcases bulging with declarations, while the reality on the ground remains stubbornly resistant to the charms of official paperwork. But take heart: at the United Nations, hope springs eternal—and resolutions are always in season.