France hosts Israeli, Palestinian civil society members for conference on 2-state solution

France will host a conference in Paris on Friday bringing together Israeli and Palestinian civil society representatives in support of a two-state solution, the French Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

The meeting, held at the invitation of Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, will include around 40 states and 15 ministers and comes a year after the “Paris Appeal” initiative aimed at sustaining diplomatic momentum on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

Officials said the conference seeks to maintain international focus on a political path toward peace and to amplify proposals from civil society actors on both sides.

“It is more essential and urgent than ever,” the ministry spokesperson said, adding that a credible political horizon and concrete commitments are needed to advance peace efforts.

The initiative comes ahead of next week’s Group of Seven summit in Evian, where global security and regional stability are expected to be discussed.