Former UK PM Gordon Brown advises U.S. and allies to persuade, not dictate to countries.

• Recognizing that we are in a new world, America and other large countries must persuade countries rather than dictate to them, according to Brown's statement to CNBC.
• He also supported a permanent two-state resolution to the Israel-Gaza dispute, proposing that both "Hamas and the individuals close to the Netanyahu government from the far right" should be "isolated by the power of global opinion."

Gordon Brown, the former U.K. Prime Minister, stated on Wednesday that powerful nations, including the U.S., must persuade countries rather than dictate to them in a world that is becoming more multipolar.

The main topic of discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week has been the decline of trust between the public and leaders, and ways to repair it.

Oliver Bäte, CEO, stated that the "main threat to our societies" is the "growing disconnection between the political elite and the working class," according to CNBC on Tuesday.

As British prime minister from 2007 to 2010, after 10 years as chancellor of the exchequer under Tony Blair, Brown stated that leaders must take into account the fact that they are operating in a "different world" than they were 10 or 20 years ago.

According to Brown, the world is no longer unipolar, but multipolar, with multiple centers of power. The economy is no longer neoliberal, but mercantilist, with states doing their own thing and protectionist trade policies becoming popular. These changes have led to a retreat from globalization, as Brown explained to CNBC on the sidelines of WEF.

In order to motivate individuals, it is crucial to acknowledge the current global context. Countries, including the United States and major powers, must collaborate with others and approach solutions to individual issues, such as food insecurity in Africa, conflict in Ukraine, and energy prices, with a focus on finding common ground.

To achieve progress, leaders must consider how individual countries can collaborate on each issue separately.

Netanyahu ‘surrounded’ by one-state extremists

In 2007 and 2008, during his premiership, Brown negotiated a process that almost resulted in a lasting peace accord in the Middle East.

During intense negotiations, he explained how Mahmoud Abbas, Ehud Olmert, and Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud collaborated to establish the "parameters of a 22-state pan-Arab agreement to recognize Israel" while simultaneously creating an "independent and economically viable Palestinian state."

Olmert's memoirs and Brown's recollections reveal that the discussions between them reached the point of creating maps and discussing refugee repatriations, security measures, and border enforcement, as well as negotiating a security agreement and international economic support for establishing a Palestinian state.

CNBC reported on Wednesday that Brown stated that although he believes this should serve as the foundation for enduring peace in the region, it is challenging due to the lack of trust among the parties involved.

Brown stated that he had a close working relationship with Netanyahu during his tenure as Israeli finance minister from 2003 to 2005, but also acknowledged that such a plan may face challenges due to the current composition of Netanyahu's government.

Brown expressed concern that the people around him can only see a one-state solution, which may not have been the case when he talked to him in the past.

The task at hand is to comprehend that those who oppose a two-state solution, including Hamas and the extreme right-wing supporters of Netanyahu, must be isolated through the power of global opinion.

He called for a coalition among the U.S., Europe, Middle Eastern states, China, and other Asian powers to isolate those who oppose the goal of a two-state solution.

Despite the difficulties in bringing the two sides to the negotiating table, Israel is "in trauma" due to the "horrific" Oct. 7 massacre of civilians by Hamas, and Palestinians are growing up witnessing the "totally unacceptable" loss of civilian life caused by Israel's bombardment of Gaza.

"Although we face significant challenges, my advice to world leaders is to persist in the belief that a two-state solution is the only viable path forward," Brown stated.

Unless we concentrate on a permanent resolution to this issue, we will continue to face it in the future.