The following written statement was compiled by The Next Century Foundation and submitted as a report on the prospects for Middle East Peace to the United Nations General Assembly under the auspices of the current 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council. It recommends a new Madrid-style Middle East Peace conference be hosted by Saudi Arabia.
A copy of the report as submitted to the UN can be found on this link. The full text of the report follows below:
The Way Forward for Middle East Peace
The Next Century Foundation calls upon the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as the lead nation of the Islamic World, to shoulder the responsibility of convening a Middle East Peace Conference in view of the ongoing crisis in Gaza and the urgent need to establish a way forward for the region. Persistent cycles of violence in Gaza and the West Bank serve as reminders that neglecting to address the Palestinian issue comes at the high cost of death and destruction. In the absence of a peace agreement that effectively addresses the aspirations of the Palestinian people for self-determination and sovereignty, the security of both Palestinians and Israelis remain precariously imperilled.
LESSONS FROM PAST PEACE INITIATIVES THAT EMERGED FROM MOMENTS OF CRISIS
The conflict in Gaza has brought the Palestinian issue to the forefront of international attention with unforeseen intensity. While this is not the first instance of violent escalation between the State of Israel and the people of the State of Palestine, the cruelty of the October 7 attacks and the subsequent bombardment by Israel of Gaza have prompted high levels of engagement from the international community.
The dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and Israel’s continuous military campaign subsequent to October 7, make the prospect of peace appear bleaker than ever. Yet, recent history has shown that periods of violence and human suffering, coupled with heightened international attention on Israel and Palestine, can catalyse multilateral efforts to advance conflict resolution. The Arab Peace Initiative in 2002 (itself an outcome of the visionary “Abdullah Plan” initiated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia); and the 2003 Roadmap to Peace drafted by ‘the Quartet’ (the United States of America, the UN, the Russian Federation and the EU); and the Geneva Accord in 2003, all emerged in response to the acute crisis of the second intifada, which, between 2000 and 2003, claimed the lives of 2,400 Palestinians and 780 Israelis.
However, the shortcomings that resulted in the international failure to implement each of these initiatives remained unaddressed, relegating any efforts toward a concrete, permanent peace settlement to the background until the next cycle of violence necessitated their urgent reconsideration. History demonstrates that if we allow current events to unfold without proactive intervention, we will postpone a permanent, peaceful resolution of the conflict, thereby perpetuating the next cycle of violence.
It is imperative that we seize the opportunity presented by the current crisis in Gaza to find a permanent solution for the Palestinian issue before it is once again sidelined.
A REVIVED ARAB PEACE INITIATIVE LED BY SAUDI ARABIA CAN PAVE THE WAY FOR PEACE
The Next Century Foundation acknowledges the recent discourse surrounding the potential formal recognition of the State of Israel by Saudi Arabia. It is also aware that Saudi Arabia has indicated its intention not to recognise Israel without Israel’s endorsement of a pathway to peace based on the Arab Peace Initiative. Indeed, Saudi Arabia has historically conditioned the establishment of ties with Israel on the creation of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State, a central pillar of the Arab Peace Initiative led by the Kingdom. An emphasis on the Palestinian cause is precisely what is needed at this time. The Next Century Foundation therefore supports the revival of the Arab Peace Initiative as the way forward. We urge Saudi Arabia, as the most influential state in the Arab world, to shoulder responsibility of revitalising the Arab Peace Initiative by convening a multilateral Middle East Peace Conference.
Previous Middle East peace conferences have played an important role in helping Israel and Palestine explore ways out of their state of conflict. The Madrid Conference held in 1991 brought representatives from Israel, Palestine, and neighbouring states (the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Lebanese Republic) to engage in peace talks. The diplomatic achievements of the Madrid conference underscore the potential benefit of a similar initiative led by Saudi Arabia to provide a platform for negotiation at this critical time.
But there is a key difference from previous moments of negotiation that enhances the prospect of diplomatic efforts resulting in concrete changes in the Israel-Palestinian conflict today. Unlike before, several key Arab states – Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Kingdom of Morocco – have normalised their relations with Israel in favour of developing regional security arrangements that serve their strategic interest. Consequently, they are now better positioned to help revive peace talks between Israel and Palestine that aim to end the conflict that has long destabilised the region.
STRATEGIES FOR COOPERATION
It is important to devise strategies that bring Israel and Palestine to the negotiating table.
THE STATE OF ISRAEL: Because the normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would constitute an important diplomatic milestone for Israel, any deal between the two states should be leveraged to advance progress on Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. It is imperative for Saudi Arabia to reiterate the conditions they expect Israel to meet concerning the Palestinian issue for the normalisation of relations, with the awareness that Saudi Arabia’s recognition of Israel would foster Israel’s integration in the Middle East. Normalising relations with Israel would also demonstrate Saudi Arabia’s long-standing dedication to regional stability, encouraging other Arab states to follow suit.
New security arrangements may also be necessary to encourage Israel to embrace a peaceful resolution to the Palestinian issue. Israel’s current stance is that its security has been severely challenged by the October 7 attacks and that it must be restored. This moment presents an opportunity to address legitimate fears among Israel’s citizens by proposing a regional security framework that strengthens Israel’s sense of security.
In the long term, however, the best way of ensuring Israel’s security is the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state. To prevent power vacuums in Gaza that enable extremist armed groups to seize control and pose a threat to Israel and neighbouring countries, it is imperative that the territory is governed by a Palestinian state that represents its people. As such, any multinational force that is put in place to provide security to Israel should be part of a broader diplomatic framework that works toward establishing an independent, democratic Palestinian state.
THE STATE OF PALESTINE: A significant obstacle to any diplomatic endeavour arises from the lack of a recognised leadership figure that has the authority to represent the Palestinian people effectively. Yet, despite the diverse array of political voices in Palestine, there tends to be consensus on one issue: Palestinians see themselves as a unified national entity and must be recognised as such. Despite the Palestinian Authority’s weakened state and diminished legitimacy, it has affirmed its commitment to peace talks based on a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Because of its stated dedication to the Palestinian cause, which stands as a top priority for most Palestinians, The Next Century Foundation urges the Palestinian Authority to lead Palestine in potential peace negotiations toward the establishment of a Palestinian State.
However, a sustainable pathway to peace should involve the implementation of new presidential (and ideally parliamentary) elections in Palestine. Such a democratic process would help enable enduring peace through governance that authentically represents the Palestinian people.
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY: Formal recognition of a Palestinian state by the international community would promote equality between Israel and the Palestinians and stimulate a peace process. While 143 out of 193 United Nations member states already recognise the State of Palestine, most Western states do not. We call on the United States of America, as the lead nation of the liberal international order, which is founded on liberal values that include liberal democratic governance and universal human rights, to spearhead multilateral diplomatic efforts toward the recognition of a Palestinian state. Such a pivotal step taken by a leading power in the international system has the potential to make a significant contribution in paving the way for peace and security in both Israel and Palestine. The Next Century Foundation is aware of recent discourse by some European states – most particularly the Kingdom of Spain, the Republic of Ireland, the Republic of Malta and the Republic of Slovenia – regarding their potential recognition of the State of Palestine. We support these efforts as the way forward for lasting peace and we urge more Western powers to follow suit.
CONCLUSION
The recent escalation of violence between Israel and Palestinians illustrates the result of failing to address the underlying power imbalances that have long existed between the two parties. Moments of crisis can serve as catalysts for peace. We believe that Saudi Arabia, with its vested interest in upholding regional stability and longstanding commitment to the Palestinian quest for self-determination, is well positioned to leverage its growing relations with Israel to launch a peace conference that revives the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative and offers a long-term solution to the Palestinian issue. Such an initiative would reverse the troubling trend of Palestinian marginalisation that has for decades undermined regional stability.
