BEYOND STATEHOOD

The revival of Palestinian statehood at this particular moment serves only one purpose: to grant Israel legitimacy and diplomatic cover for its atrocities in Gaza and ongoing assaults in the West Bank

- Manal A. Jamal

In response to Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and its escalating human-rights violations in the West Bank, the international community has revived the push for Palestinian statehood.

At the end of July, France and Saudi Arabia co-chaired a high-level meeting in New York, attended by representatives from more than 100 countries, to generate momentum toward this goal. Since then, Canada, Australia, and several Arab countries have joined the calls for recognition, while the United Kingdom has said it intends to do so if Israel does not agree to a ceasefire.

Although widely welcomed as a significant diplomatic initiative, advancing the idea of Palestinian statehood at a time when nearly 2.2 million people face a systematic starvation campaign orchestrated by Israelis is nothing more than political theatre. The version of a “Palestinian state” currently being promoted by the international community will neither end the genocide in Gaza nor deliver a genuine sovereign state.

The revival of Palestinian statehood at this particular moment serves only one purpose: to grant Israel legitimacy and diplomatic cover for its atrocities in Gaza and ongoing assaults in the West Bank. As of March 2025, 147 of 193 UN member states had already recognised a Palestinian state. Yet an international community unwilling - or unable — to end the deliberate starvation of Gaza will never be able to force Israel to make the types of concessions required for a truly sovereign Palestinian state.