Sinjlawi Apologizes for Not Participating in Paris Conference on Two-State Solution in Protest of Gaza’s Exclusion for the Second Year*
Jerusalem – Palestinian political activist Samer Sinjlawi announced his withdrawal from the “Paris Call for a Two-State Solution” conference, organized by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris on June 12. He emphasized that the primary reason for his decision was the continued exclusion of Palestinian voices from the Gaza Strip for the second consecutive year.
In an official letter addressed to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Sinjlawi expressed his appreciation for French efforts to support peace and dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis. However, he asserted that any conference discussing the future of Palestine and ways to achieve peace cannot be considered credible without genuine and effective representation from the Gaza Strip.
Sinjlawi noted that the 2025 conference also saw the absence of dozens of participants from Gaza due to their inability to obtain visas to France. He argued that the failure to address this issue this year constitutes a serious shortcoming that undermines the conference’s ability to claim to represent Palestinian society comprehensively. Al-Sinjlawi stated that Gaza, home to over two million Palestinians and bearing the brunt of the war, destruction, and humanitarian suffering, must be included in any serious discussion about the future of the Palestinians. He added that its continued exclusion sends the wrong message and undermines the legitimacy of any outcomes or recommendations issued from such meetings.
Al-Sinjlawi also criticized the limited representation at the conference, noting that a number of influential Palestinian and Israeli voices were not represented, and that some participating international actors still relied on a narrow and closed circle of traditional players who have monopolized the so-called peace process for many years, without achieving any real political breakthroughs.
In his letter, Al-Sinjlawi also pointed out that a full year had passed since Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas pledged, in his letter to French President Emmanuel Macron dated June 9, 2025, to hold presidential and legislative elections within one year. He noted that this commitment has not yet been fulfilled, and that Palestinians are still deprived of their right to renew the legitimacy of their institutions through the ballot box. Sinjlawi emphasized that sustainable peace is inseparable from democracy and popular legitimacy, and that any serious international effort to support the two-state solution must prioritize Palestinian democratic reform and the representation of all segments of the Palestinian people, particularly those in the Gaza Strip.
He concluded his message by affirming his respect and appreciation for the French role, expressing his hope that future initiatives will ensure broader, more inclusive, and more representative participation of the Palestinian and Israeli voices directly concerned with the future of peace in the region.
التاريخ 11-6-2026
