Tutu, Carter and fellow Elders meet Mahmoud Abbas in New York

With the US and Israel opposing the Palestinian bid for statehood at the UN, Jimmy Carter and Mary Robinson urge the European Union to seize this opportunity to support Palestinian self-determination and maintain its commitment to upholding international law. Originally published in Le Monde.

As Palestinians seek recognition of a Palestinian state, Jimmy Carter argues in the International Herald Tribune for a new, comprehensive peace proposal and international mediation of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

The Elders have written to world leaders urging them to support Palestinian unity. Having welcomed the reconciliation agreement signed between Fatah and Hamas in May 2011, The Elders are now calling on the international community to demonstrate a fresh approach to its pursuit of a viable two-state solution based on international law and respect for fundamental human rights.

The Elders have issued a statement condemning the reported killing by Israeli forces of more than a dozen people who were attempting to deliver relief supplies to the Gaza strip by sea.

Commenting in The International Herald Tribune, Jimmy Carter argues for a two-state solution based on Israel's withdrawal from Palestinian territories occupied during the 1967 war – with the exception of mutually agreed land swaps.