Palestine advances, Syria returns to the world stage

These recognitions have reignited global awareness of the Palestinian tragedy—especially in Gaza. They have helped bridge legal gaps and opened pathways out of catastrophe. Major European powers and countries of the Global South have recognised a state not yet born, but ever more present in the world's conscience.

Among the most recent voices was British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, announcing a sharp break in UK foreign policy: "To revive hope for peace between Palestinians and Israelis, and for the two-state solution, the United Kingdom officially recognises the State of Palestine."

He added: "In the face of growing horror in the Middle East, we must keep alive the possibility of peace and the two-state solution."

Starmer's words, echoed by Canada, Australia, France and others, stand in stark contrast to Netanyahu's efforts to extinguish hope in the West Bank and Gaza. "Hope for a two-state solution is fading," Starmer admitted, "but we must not let the light go out."

Back from obscurity

That fragile light now flickers in a neighbouring space. Syria has reappeared in New York. President Ahmed al-Sharaa will be the first Syrian president to address the UN in nearly six decades. Since the fleeting presence of President Nureddin al-Atassi in 1967, Syria has been absent from the podium, despite being one of the UN's founding members.

For years, Syria had been pushed to the margins by isolation. Now it returns with a presidential voice seeking not only recognition, but legitimacy.

Al-Sharaa spoke little of the past. Instead, he focused on a present shaped by destruction, sanctions and uncertainty. In New York, he moved cautiously, as if testing whether this appearance might mark a fuller return to the international stage. His presence alone delivered a dual message: to Syrians—that the state is reclaiming its place; to the world, that Syria seeks to be heard, not merely observed.

Shifting priorities?

Ironically, despite its historic support for Palestine, Syria was absent from the ministerial summit on the two-state solution. The cause remains important, but perhaps it no longer occupies the centre of Syria's diplomacy. This may signal shifting priorities—or new ways of expressing them. Among those priorities now is the drive to squash disputes with neighbours, including the possibility of a security arrangement with Israel regarding southern Syria.

This year's UN week in New York feels unlike any other. It mirrors the Middle East testing new forms of presence. Between Palestine's advance and Syria's return, the region remains burdened by its great questions—torn between what it longs to say and what it is permitted to do.

In the same hall, at the same moment, a wounded Palestine meets a reemerging Syria. Absence does not mean oblivion. History never closes its chapters. And the clock never stops ticking.