After Iran milestone, France nudges US on Palestinian UN bid
The French are working on a Security Council resolution to support a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, hoping the Americans will be more favorable to UN mediation on the heels of a framework agreement for an Iran deal.
As the US administration celebrates a hard-fought breakthrough on the nuclear negotiations with Iran, actors at the United Nations are keen to nudge the Americans toward another issue that could further cement the president’s legacy in diplomacy.
The French are preparing a new UN Security Council resolution on negotiations that would seek to enforce a two-state solution in the decadeslong Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but for it to succeed, they need the cooperation of Israel’s traditional guardian, the United States, which has so far sent mixed signals on the issue.
It was understood that the Americans could begin to consider the Middle East conflict after the deadline for a preliminary deal with Iran, and some Middle Eastern diplomats hope that a positive outcome will offer momentum for the Palestinian issue. UN Ambassador to Jordan Dina Kawar told reporters April 2, “I like to think that now this deal has been signed, Secretary of State John Kerry will have the time and momentum to try to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
But the initial conduct of the Americans might suggest otherwise. Shortly after the Iran agreement was announced, President Barack Obama quickly reiterated his commitment to Israel's security, noting that he had asked his national security team to step up collaboration with the new government on defense measures between the two countries.
