Israel is fighting a losing battle to staunch international momentum toward recognition of Palestinian statehood.
Yesterday, shortly after France announced its intention to recognize a Palestinian state, which has yet to be formed, Britain declared it would extend recognition to a Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to certain conditions.
Canada, Australia and Finland are considering joining France and Britain.
The seismic shift reflects a consensus among Western nations that the old approach to diplomacy, forging peace before recognizing a Palestinian state, is no longer a useful or practical model.
Since the last set of Israel-Palestinian peace talks took place in 2013 and 2014, conditions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank have markedly deteriorated, prompting Western politicians to conclude that symbolic recognition of Palestinian statehood could be an important step toward this objective.
The current right-wing Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, staunchly disagrees with that notion. His centrist predecessor, Yair Lapid, expressed support for a Palestinian state at peace with Israel, but he left office before he could do something about it.
What is certainly true is that the movement toward a two-state solution would require the active participation and full consent of Israel.
French President Emmanuel Macron presumably understands this imperative. But on July 24, citing France’s “historical commitment to a just and durable peace in the Middle East,” he disclosed he would nevertheless recognize Palestinian statehood in September at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
At the same time, Macron dispatched a letter to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas stating the urgency of pursuing “the only viable solution that honors the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people,” ending “terrorism and violence in all its forms,” and permitting Israel and “all the countries of the region to live in peace and security.”
If Macron goes through with his scheme, France — the home of the largest Jewish and Muslim communities in Western Europe — would become the first country in the Group of 7 to recognize a Palestinian state.
Last year, Ireland, Spain and Norway recognized a Palestinian state.
On July 29, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would follow in Macron’s steps if Israel rejects an immediate ceasefire to end the war in the Gaza Strip, fails to commit to negotiations that would lead to a two-state solution, and annexes parts of the West Bank.
Alongside these conditions, Starmer demanded the release of the remaining Israeli hostages, Hamas’ acceptance of a truce, and its exclusion from a role in the future governance of Gaza.
By all accounts, Starmer issued his statement after some 250 parliamentarians from inside and outside the ruling Labor Party signed a letter calling for British recognition of a Palestinian state.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy evoked the 1917 Balfour Declaration to hammer home the point that the Palestinians deserve statehood.
The historic declaration, which outraged Arabs, endorsed a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine on condition that the civil and religious rights of its Arab inhabitants would not be violated. It was written by Arthur James Balfour, Britain’s foreign secretary.
“This has not been upheld, and it is a historical injustice that continues to unfold,” said Lammy in justifying Britain’s new policy.
Macron and Starmer voiced support of Palestinian statehood as Israel stepped up military operations in Gaza after almost two years of warfare and amid global concerns that Gaza is on the cusp of famine following widespread reports that 2.2 million Gazans face starvation and malnutrition.
As expected, Israel rejected both moves.
Condemning Macron’s decision, Netanyahu claimed it “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy.”
“A Palestinian state would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it,” he added in a reiteration of his opposition to Palestinian statehood in the West Bank and Gaza. “Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel. They seek a state instead of Israel.”
Responding to Starmer’s statement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it would harm efforts to achieve a truce and free the hostages.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a champion of settlement construction in the West Bank and an advocate of “voluntary” Palestinian emigration from Gaza, delivered a far stronger message.
Describing Gaza as “an inseparable part of the Land of Israel,” he said that Israel is now “closer than ever” to rebuilding Jewish settlements there. They were abandoned with Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005.
Contending that the notion of resettling Gaza is a “real” possibility, Smotrich said, “For 20 years, we called it wishful thinking. It seems to me it is now a real working plan.”
Smotrich delivered his comments amid speculation in the Israeli media that Netanyahu might well incrementally annex Gaza if Hamas refuses to release the hostages and agree to a two-month ceasefire.
Israel’s opposition to Palestinian statehood its shared by only one major power, the United States.
Strongly castigating Macron’s plan, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X, “This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace.” And in a reference to the devastating Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, he wrote, “It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7.”
Referring to Starmer’s pro-Palestinian announcement, President Donald Trump said the United States is not in “the same camp”
As of a few days ago, 147 out of 193 United Nations member states recognized Palestinian statehood.
In 1974, the UN General Assembly recognized the right of Palestinians to self-determination and sovereignty in the West Bank and Gaza. And in the same year, the UN granted the PLO non-state observer status. Thirteen years ago, the UN General Assembly granted the Palestinians non-member observer status.
Yesterday, at a two-day UN conference sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, a panoply of nations endorsed a phased two-state solution and urged Israel to accept it, reflecting the view that its protracted conflict with the Palestinians can only be ended by diplomacy.
Under the “New York Declaration,” the ongoing war in Gaza would end and talks would be launched with the goal of establishing an independent, demilitarized Palestine coexisting with Israel.
It would give the Palestinian Authority governing power in Gaza. Until now, the Israeli government has dismissed such an idea.
The foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, urged UN member nations “to support this document” before the UN General Assembly gets under way in mid-September.
The declaration, which was supported by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, among other countries, condemns Israeli attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza. Yet it also condemns “the attacks committed by Hamas against civilians” in southern Israel on October 7.
Significantly enough, this marked the first official condemnation of Hamas’ onslaught by Arab states.
Nonetheless, the conference was lambasted by Israel. Its UN ambassador, Danny Danon, said, “(It) does not promote a solution, but rather deepens the illusion. Instead of demanding the release of the hostages and working to dismantle Hamas’ reign of terror, the conference organizers are engaging in discussions and plenaries that are disconnected from reality.”
The Trump administration denounced the “unproductive and ill-timed” conference, labelling it as a “publicity stunt that comes in the middle of delicate diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.”
“Far from promoting peace, the conference will prolong the war, embolden Hamas and reward its obstruction and undermine real-world efforts to achieve peace,” the U.S. State Department said.
Judging by these dismissive remarks, Israel and the United States are demonstratively isolated when it comes to this increasingly prominent issue.