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This is a wider international conference in terms of participation than that of 3 June , resulting from the momentum we have managed to generate for our initiative. Following the 3 June meeting, there were a number of developments: Everyone is well aware of the difficulties dealing with a conflict that has lasted several decades. But we cannot remain as onlookers of a deadlocked situations that creates despair and insecurity.
Our aim remains to mobilize the entire international community so that it actively commits by supporting a resumption of the peace process. To achieve this, we must first together reaffirm our commitment to the two-State solution, which is the only way to ensure a fair and sustainable solution to the conflict.
We also need to make peace an attractive option again, by assembling the concrete contributions that all international partners are prepared to provide. These contributions will be central to the Conference on 15 January thanks to the reports from the working groups created in summer I Following the Ministerial meeting held in Paris on 3 June , the Participants met in Paris on 15 January to reaffirm their support for a just, lasting and comprehensive resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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They reaffirmed that a negotiated solution with two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, is the only way to achieve enduring peace. They emphasized the importance for the parties to restate their commitment to this solution, to take urgent steps in order to reverse the current negative trends on the ground, including continued acts of violence and ongoing settlement activity, and to start meaningful direct negotiations.
They underscored the importance of the Arab Peace Initiative of as a comprehensive framework for the resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict, thus contributing to regional peace and security.
They noted the importance of addressing the dire humanitarian and security situation in the Gaza Strip and called for swift steps to improve the situation. They emphasized the importance for Israelis and Palestinians to comply with international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights law.
II The Participants highlighted the potential for security, stability and prosperity for both parties that could result from a peace agreement. They expressed their readiness to exert necessary efforts toward the achievement of the two-state solution and to contribute substantially to arrangements for ensuring the sustainability of a negotiated peace agreement, in particular in the areas of political and economic incentives, the consolidation of Palestinian state capacities, and civil society dialogue.
Syria, Libya, Yemen, the fight against Daesh, the conflict between Qatar and other Gulf countries — there is no shortage of crises in the region.
But this has made peace between Israelis and Palestinians more and not less urgent. This is why the European Union will not give up on peace between Israelis and Palestinians. No one can impose a solution on the parties. But we can help them rebuild trust and chart a path back to serious talks. The EU has been the largest donor and a reliable partner of the Palestinians in their quest for statehood. Europe and Israel share history, culture and values. The rationale of our engagement has always been the prospect of two states. Is it time to revise this paradigm?
It is understandable that, after years of failure, people start looking for alternatives. There is no shortage of ideas. However, none of them has ever been able to offer convincing answers, beyond slogans, about how they could work in practice and be acceptable to both parties. For the EU, the two-state solution is not an article of faith.
There is simply no other realistic endgame.
Reaching a two-state solution will be difficult but it is not too late. Past failures offer many lessons, but they do not discredit the end goal. If we want to have any chance to help solve this conflict, we have to insist that the only realistic solution is two states.
All 28 EU member states are fully united on this point. What does this mean for the EU today? First, we must ensure that we do the best we can to help the parties advance towards two states — against all the odds and the negative trends on the ground.