Recognition of Palestine must go beyond symbolism: Foreign Affairs
5 Min Read
Foreign Affairs argues that growing global support for recognizing Palestine risks becoming an empty gesture unless it's backed by real action to confront Israeli occupation and enforce Palestinian rights.
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A protester waves a Palestinian flag during a demonstration near the United Nations headquarters on May 18, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
A report published by the Foreign Affairs on Tuesday featured a detailed piece by writers Marc Lynch and Shibley Telhami that explores the growing international push to recognize the State of Palestine, a movement gaining traction in response to "Israel's" relentless assault on Gaza and the accelerating colonization of the West Bank.
The article outlines how a long-anticipated United Nations conference, organized by France and Saudi Arabia to rally support for Palestinian statehood, was derailed after "Israel" launched airstrikes on Iran, sparking a 12-day war that the United States quickly joined. The escalation forced a postponement of the conference, which had aimed to revive the two-state solution in line with the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.
Despite the disruption, calls for Palestinian recognition continue to grow. French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed France's commitment: "This postponement cannot undermine our determination to move forward with the implementation of the two-state solution... Whatever the circumstances, I have stated my determination to recognize the state of Palestine."
In contrast, both the Israeli regime and the Trump administration have worked to block any such move. A US State Department cable, reported by Reuters, instructed diplomats to dissuade other governments from participating in the conference: "The United States opposes any steps that would unilaterally recognize a conjectural Palestinian state, which adds significant legal and political obstacles to the eventual resolution of the conflict and could coerce Israel during a war, thereby supporting its enemies."
Even more brazen was the statement by US Ambassador to "Israel" Mike Huckabee, who dismissed not just the idea of premature recognition but the very right of Palestinians to statehood. "Unless there are some significant things that happen that change the culture, there's no room for it," he said.
In an openly racist suggestion, he added that if a Palestinian state were ever created, it should be carved "out of a Muslim country," not from the territories that "Israel" continues to occupy in violation of international law.
Recognition without justice
In the report, Lynch and Telhami present a stark picture of the reality on the ground. The Israeli war on Gaza, they argue, is paving the way for the complete reoccupation and possible depopulation of the territory, while settlers in the West Bank, backed by the Israeli military, are violently displacing Palestinians and laying the groundwork for annexation. Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have repeatedly declared their rejection of a Palestinian state. The authors cite reports that Trump's proposed "grand bargain" between "Israel" and Arab regimes includes no reference to Palestinian sovereignty.
Yet, with global outrage over the destruction of Gaza mounting, momentum for recognition is building. The authors note that Trump's transactional approach to foreign policy might make him more amenable to symbolic moves like endorsing Palestinian statehood, not out of principle, but as a bargaining chip with Gulf monarchies or to rein in the spiraling cost of "Israel's" war, which has already cost the US over $22 billion.
Still, the authors sound a note of caution: recognition must not be allowed to become a cover for inaction. "Recognition cannot be an end unto itself," they write. "If many countries choose to recognize Palestine but fail to confront the reality of escalating Israeli domination of the occupied territories, recognition could prove seriously counterproductive."
Symbolic recognition
The authors recall that in 2012, Palestine was granted non-voting observer status at the UN General Assembly, a move that allowed it to access institutions like the International Criminal Court. More recently, the International Court of Justice declared "Israel's" continued occupation illegal and demanded its end. These rulings, according to the report, while symbolically important, have yet to yield protection or justice for Palestinians.
Recognition by powerful Western states, especially in Europe, would mark a serious blow to "Israel's" global diplomatic firewall, one it has long relied on to shield its apartheid system from accountability. It would also elevate the role of Palestinian diplomacy, which has been marginalized in the wake of the normalization agreements.
For Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, tying recognition to the Arab Peace Initiative would help restore regional credibility, especially after public outrage in the Arab world over "Israel's" ongoing war crimes.
But even this new momentum is shadowed by grim realities. As Israeli officials rush to expand settlements and entrench apartheid, few Palestinians or outside observers believe that a genuine two-state solution remains viable. Lynch and Telhami quote "Israel's" ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely: "The two-state solution is over."
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The article concludes with a clear message: recognizing Palestine must be accompanied by real consequences for Israeli violations and by international commitment to rebuilding Palestinian institutions and protecting their rights. Otherwise, it becomes just another symbolic gesture that distracts from the daily violence and dispossession Palestinians face.
Lynch and Telhami argue that the moment may be ripe for a historic shift, but only if the world chooses justice over diplomacy-as-usual.
