The UN can end the Middle East conflict by welcoming Palestine as a member

The United Nations will celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2025, and this milestone could be commemorated by securing a lasting solution to the conflict in the Middle East, namely, welcoming the State of Palestine as the 194th member of the UN. The UN conference on Palestine, scheduled for June 2025, could be a turning point, marking a decisive and irreversible path toward peace in the Middle East. The Trump administration's support for a two-state solution and a comprehensive Middle East peace agreement at the June meeting in New York would be greatly in the interest of both the United States and the world.

Despite the shocking atrocities committed by Israel in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, there is a glimmer of hope. There is almost universal agreement that a two-state solution is key to achieving regional peace. Therefore, a comprehensive agreement is now within reach. The UN General Assembly recently passed a potentially transformative resolution by an overwhelming majority, demanding an end to Israel’s illegal occupation of 1967 and reaffirming its firm support for a two-state solution. Crucially, the resolution sets a roadmap for the establishment of a Palestinian state at the high-level international conference to be held at the UN in June 2025.

Consider how long the Palestinian people and the world have been waiting for this. In 1947, the UN first took on the responsibility of addressing the Palestinian issue. Through Resolution 181, the UN General Assembly proposed the partition of Mandate Palestine into two separate states – one Jewish and one Arab. However, the proposed partition was neither fair nor agreed upon by all parties. It allocated 44% of the land to the Palestinians, who comprised 67% of the population. However, before the plan could be revised and peacefully resolved, Zionist terrorist groups began ethnically cleansing over 700,000 Palestinians, an event known as the Palestinian “Catastrophe” (Nakba).

After Israel unilaterally declared independence and defeated its Arab neighbors, UN High Mediator Count Folke Bernadotte attempted to revive the two-state solution. However, Bernadotte was assassinated by the Zionist paramilitary group Lehi. Israel signed the 1949 Lausanne Protocol, which revived the two-state solution under UN auspices, but subsequently flagrantly disregarded it. Instead, Israel embarked on a 75-year campaign to deny Palestinians their right to a homeland.

For decades, under the guidance of the US-Israeli lobby, the US government has led a sham negotiation process. These efforts ostensibly involved direct bilateral talks between an occupying power and an occupied people, with inherently unequal footing, and Israel’s goal has always been to reject a truly sovereign Palestinian state. At best, Israel has offered “Bantustans,” small and powerless Palestinian enclaves living under Israeli control. The US-led process has continued since the mid-1970s, including the 1978 Camp David Accords, the 1991 Madrid Conference, the 1993-1995 Oslo Accords, the 2000 Camp David Summit, the 2003 Quartet Roadmap for Peace, and the 2007 Annapolis Conference. Throughout this illusory process, Israel has continuously blocked the establishment of a Palestinian state, while the US “mediator” has consistently blamed the Palestinians for their intransigence.

The Trump administration can change the situation at the upcoming UN conference, which is in the interest of the US, the long-term interests and security of Israel, and the peace of the Middle East and the world. In fact, the US is the only country that can still veto the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israel does not have the power to veto the creation of a Palestinian state or peace. Only the US has that power. Yes, Prime Minister Netanyahu has ideas other than peace. He and his coalition continue to have one purpose: to deny a Palestinian state by expanding Israel’s territorial conquests, now including not only occupied Palestine but also parts of Lebanon and an increasing part of Syria.

The Middle East needs a new US foreign policy – one that brings peace instead of endless war. As authorized by the International Court of Justice and demonstrated by the actions of the UN General Assembly, the G20, BRICS, and the Arab League, the vast majority of the world is in favor of a two-state solution. Therefore, the UN conference on Palestine is a crucial and vital opportunity that could usher in comprehensive peace in the Middle East, including seven interrelated measures:

First, an immediate UN-mandated ceasefire on all fronts of conflict, including Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Iran, and the immediate release of all hostages and prisoners of war by all entities. Second, the admission of a sovereign State of Palestine as the 194th member of the UN, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the June 4, 1967, borders; the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from the territories occupied since 1967, while introducing UN-mandated international forces and security guarantees to protect all populations. Third, the protection of the territorial integrity and stability of Lebanon and Syria, the complete demilitarization of all non-state forces, and the withdrawal of all foreign troops from their respective countries. Fourth, the renewal of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran and the end of all economic and other sanctions against Iran. Fifth, the termination, including the defunding and disarmament of belligerent non-state entities, the end of all belligerent claims or states, and the respect and recognition of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of every country in the region (not excluding the possibility of subsequent territorial adjustments, security arrangements, and cooperative governance forms agreed upon by sovereign parties). Sixth, the establishment of regional peace and the normalization of diplomatic relations between all Arab and Islamic countries with Israel. Seventh, the establishment of a sustainable development fund for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East to support the region's reconstruction, economic recovery, and sustainable development.

After too many years of violence and war, the opportunity for peace is here, now. The UN's efforts to achieve comprehensive peace are our best hope and opportunity in decades.

**The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.**