US dismisses UN two-state conference as 'publicity stunt'

The United States on Monday dismissed a high-level international conference on the two-state solution, calling the UN-hosted initiative “unproductive,” “ill-timed,” and harmful to ongoing diplomatic efforts.

“This is a publicity stunt that comes in the middle of delicate diplomatic efforts to end the conflict,” said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, adding that the conference would only serve to “prolong the war, embolden Hamas, and undermine real-world efforts to achieve peace.”

The US announced it would not participate in the three-day conference, which is being held at United Nations headquarters in New York and co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. Bruce accused the organizers of staging “a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th and a reward for terrorism.”

She also sharply criticized French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent decision to recognize a Palestinian state, calling it part of a “pattern of counterproductive gestures that only embolden Hamas.”

The conference aims to revive international support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It includes eight working groups tasked with developing time-bound, actionable steps toward ending the decades-long conflict.

The summit comes amid growing international concern over the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, where a months-long Israeli blockade has pushed much of the population to the brink of famine.