September could be a decisive moment for Palestine

Next month could be a major turning point for Palestine as France, Britain, Canada and six other countries are set to extend recognition of a virtual Palestinian state.

- Michael Jansen, Political Correspondent

While enjoying three of the four attributes that define statehood — a permanent population, a government and relations with other states — Palestine does not exercise control over sovereign territory. Recognition is to take place at the 8Oth session of the United Nations General Assembly which opens on September 9th with addresses from world leaders.

The Trump administration has criticised these countries and tried to punish the Palestinians by imposing sanctions on so-far unnamed Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) officials who could be denied visas to attend the General Assembly. Washington has justified its stand by claiming ‘the “the two Palestinian organisations have ‘taken actions to internationalise’ their conflict ‘with Israel, including through the International Criminal Court, and said both had continued ‘to support terrorism.” On the latter charge, neither the Authority nor the PLO supported Hamas’ October 7th, 2093, raid into southern Israel during which 1,139 Israelis and visitors were killed and 250 abducted.

The US previously excluded Palestinian leaders from the opening of the annual Assembly session. Although he had addressed the General Assembly in 1974, the US refused PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat a visa for the 1988 opening, A special session was held in Geneva in mid-December to enable Arafat to speak.

After this debacle, his successor, Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas, has addressed the opening session of the Assembly for nearly two decades.