Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Yaïr Lapid discusses the two-state solution before the UN

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid at the UN General Assembly podium on September 22, 2022. AP - Julia Nikhinson

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During his speech to the UN General Assembly, Yair Lapid of course addressed the issue of the Iranian dossier and its potential nuclear threat, but the Israeli Prime Minister also raised the issue of a two-state solution for resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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With our correspondent in Jerusalem,

For a decade, Israel has tirelessly repeated the same speech at the UN General Assembly in New York.

One and only issue has preoccupied the leaders of the Jewish state during all this time: Iran and its potential nuclear threat.

This year, the Israeli Prime Minister was no exception to the rule.

He touched on this subject.

But significantly, Yaïr Lapid also mentioned the two-state solution.

That is to say an Israeli state and a Palestinian state, living side by side.

This is the consensus advocated by the international community.

“ 

 ,” added

, whose speech at the UN, which had leaked to Israel, was already criticized by his political adversaries.

An agreement with the Palestinians, based on the existence of two states for two peoples, is the best thing for Israel's security, for Israel's economy and for the future of our children.

Peace is not a compromise.

It is the bravest decision we can make.

Despite all the odds, a large majority of Israelis support this vision of a two-state solution even today.

And I'm one of them.

We have only one condition: that a future Palestinian state be peaceful.

Lower your weapons, and prove that Hamas and the Islamic jihad are not going to take the Palestinian state you want to create.

Lower your weapons, and there will be peace.

Yair Lapid, Israeli Prime Minister

Carrie Nooten

The left describes his speech as “historic”.

But for the Israeli extreme right, this speech is “

 ”.

“

,” reacted on Twitter the leader of Meretz, a party of the Israeli left.

What the leader of religious Zionism, a far-right formation, responds to Yair Lapid's speech is " 

 ". 

A transitional prime minister

Speaking at the UN, Yaïr Lapid affirmed “ 

 ”.

But in fact, by evoking this possibility, the Israeli Prime Minister is only expressing a wishful thinking, in a country that votes mainly on the right.

The effort is commendable, but Yair Lapid is a transitional prime minister.

Last June, the Israeli parliament was dissolved, and the country is heading for legislative elections next November.  

Without a majority to govern, Yaïr Lapid has no leverage, no way to implement his fine words.

His speech, however, appears as a message of peace, and contrasts with the position of his predecessors Naftali Bennett and Benyamin Netanyahu. 

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• Yair Lapid

• UN

• Israel

• Israelo-Palestinian conflict

• Palestinian territories