“We take the world as it is, but we seek to shape it for the better.”

This has been Penny Wong’s guiding foreign policy mantra since before Labor returned to power in 2022, a dictum that seeks to fuse the two competing strands of international relations: realism and idealism.

The two-state solution conference co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday morning, Australian time, at United Nations headquarters in New York was heady with idealism. World leaders, including Anthony Albanese, rose to the podium to speak about their goal to shape the world for the better by advancing the cause of Palestinian statehood.

President of France Emmanuel Macron speaks at the Two-State Solution Conference after a rock-star reception.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

Hard-headed realism was in shorter supply. For three hours of lofty speech-making, the grim reality of the world as it is often vanished from view, smothered by visions of a peaceful future.

Macron entered the General Assembly to a rock star reception, relishing his role as a global statesman. In July, he announced his intention for France to become the first G7 nation to recognise Palestine. The move was intended to pressure other countries to follow suit. It worked.

Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Portugal, Luxembourg, Monaco and Malta all joined the push. Macron also worked closely with the 22-nation Arab League on a historic declaration calling for Hamas to demilitarise and renounce any claim to govern Gaza. These are significant diplomatic achievements, a testament to Macron’s charisma and energy.

“The time for peace has come because we are only moments away from no longer being able to seize........

© Brisbane Times