Leading States Integrate Civil Society into Official Recommendations as ALLMEP and Members Meet with E3 Ministers on International Fund

A major milestone for Israeli-Palestinian civil society was achieved this week, as their ideas were directly integrated into the New York Declaration that emerged from the French-Saudi High-Level International Conference for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, at the UN in New York. 

As part of their working group recommendations, the nineteen conference co-chairs, which included the European Union and the Arab League, integrated important civil society-authored concepts that were generated at the Paris Call for Peace hosted under President Macron and co-organized by ALLMEP in June, as a prologue to this event in New York. In language that mirrors those civil society recommendations as well as the 2024 G7 leaders communiqué, the New York Declaration called to

“support and strengthen ties with civil society organizations on the Two-State Solution, nonviolence, legal advocacy, political awareness, the protection of civic space and justice and accountability efforts, as well as foster a space for experience exchange of civil society that promote the Two-State solution and reconciliation efforts and reinforce international commitment to coordinate institutionalized support for civil society peacebuilding efforts.” 

Other parts of the UN working group recommendations – including on youth, women’s representation, shrinking space for civil society, trauma, and conflict resolution – closely mirror the policy proposals that Israeli and Palestinian civil society developed in Paris, and which ALLMEP submitted to each working group ahead of this convening in New York. The integration of these recommendations reflects the growing international consensus around the centrality of civil society in achieving a sustainable peace, and the need to include experts on the ground in any diplomatic process that aims to secure a sustainable peace agreement.

During the conference, German Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Florian Hahn publicly reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to this, stating, “We support civil society, peacebuilding, dialogue, and shared-society initiatives that pave the way for a better understanding of both societies. Joint narratives for peace are more important than ever.” These remarks position civil society in the center of positive change, echoing the G7’s policy shift and the UK’s endorsement of an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace. 

On the sidelines of the conference, the French Mission to the UN and Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot hosted ALLMEP leadership at a high-level diplomatic meeting with senior representatives of the “E3” governments – France, Germany, and the United Kingdom – to discuss those civil society recommendations, and the need for multilateral cooperation and the establishment of the International Fund. 

Participating officials at the meeting alongside French Foreign Minister Barrot included UK Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer, German Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Florian Hahn, and German State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Johann Saathoff. Palestinian and Israeli civil society was represented by Yael Braudo-Bahat of Women Wage Peace, Gidon Bromberg of EcoPeace Middle East, and ALLMEP’s Wasim Almasri and Nivine Sandouka.

In the meeting, French Foreign Minister Barrot reaffirmed France’s commitment to build upon civil society initiatives and proposals to advance the implementation of the Two State solution and regional peace and security, in line with the civil society meeting held in Paris on June 13th. Minister Falconer referenced the UK’s experience in Northern Ireland, highlighting the critical role civil society played in advancing peace, and committed to meeting directly with Israeli and Palestinian peacebuilders in London for the inaugural meeting. Minister of State Hahn and State Secretary Saathoff German emphasized the need to safeguard civic space from political interference, and to ensure structured support for peacebuilding efforts. 

In addition to pressing the ministers on the most urgent and immediate priorities on the ground, including ending the ongoing war and addressing escalating settler violence in the West Bank, ALLMEP’s John Lyndon thanked the gathered ministers as the conversation opened. Noting that “when fully integrated as partners in these diplomatic processes, the peacebuilding community has the ideas, the energies and the determination to help provide a ground game for diplomacy, and to root these efforts in the lived reality of Israelis and Palestinians.”      

This week’s engagements represent a critical milestone in ALLMEP’s efforts to institutionalize civil society’s role in Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy. The integration of civil society recommendations into this innovative French-Saudi multilateral process, coupled with renewed commitments from key international actors, signals a shift toward more inclusive and durable approaches to peacebuilding –  and in the work of those building ideas, trust, leaders and momentum in service of a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace.