UN Secretary-General Warns: Denying Palestine Statehood Could Trigger Global Radicalization
During a recent high-level international conference held at UN headquarters, Secretary-General António Guterres expressed profound concern over the prospects of Palestine being denied the right to establish an independent state.
He emphasized that such a move could act as a catalyst for extremism worldwide and significantly escalate the ongoing conflict.
Guterres highlighted that the only viable path toward lasting peace remains the implementation of the two-state solution, based on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as the capital for both states.
The diplomat sharply criticized Israeli policies, calling for an end to collective punishment of the Palestinian population, immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages, and the creation of safe humanitarian corridors.
The situation on the West Bank — with expanding settlements and threats of annexation — poses a serious risk to the two-state solution, the Secretary-General warned.
He posed a rhetorical question about alternatives: a single-state scenario where Palestinians are denied basic rights, forced into conditions of occupation, discrimination, and subjugation.
Guterres reaffirmed that granting Palestinian statehood is an inalienable right, not a reward, and that denying it only fuels radicalism worldwide.
He urged the international community to do everything possible to support the two-state solution for the benefit of Israel, Palestine, and humanity as a whole.