If Britain recognizes a Palestinian state, this will be a gesture. This does not mean that it does not make sense Simon McDonald

R.He was thinking that if you were really, you really think that something you can achieve seemed the best explanation for modern data for Britain and France that they would get to know a Palestinian. Regardless of how much Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron occurred, their enthusiasm will not happen. There is no Palestinian state, and certainly there will be no one by September.

For mostly local political reasons, they decided to allocate this fact. Confession is a understandable gesture, but it will not do anything to solve the current famine, and it is condemned in the short term because there is no real case that must be recognized. But there is also a clear reason because a kind of work is needed – even if it is purely symbolic. The situation in Gaza is terrible. If Starmer and Macron continues to confess, how can we manage a short -term disappointment in recognizing a situation that is not present, while moving towards a long -term international solution?

In 1933, the Montevido Conference, a treaty signed in the capital of Uruguay, was set by 19 states, all of which are Americans, criteria that must be fulfilled when recognizing a new country. The standards were agreed upon at the International Conference of the American Countries, but they are applied by the entire international community. Although they are not formal legal requirements, it provides a useful framework when considering whether the state should be recognized or not. The most important three are “people”, “region” and “governance”. Is there a large number of population? Do these population occupy a specific area controlled by its borders? Does it have one recognized government?

The international community has realized the distinction of the Palestinian people since the 1970s. This is the main reason behind the recognition of 78 countries about the state of Palestine within months of the National Council of Palestine announced independence in November 1988. But the Palestinians did not control their lands. In 1993, Oslo Conventions gave full security monitoring to the Palestinians in 18 % of the West Bank. Over time, this area was supposed to expand. This never happened.

In 2007, Hamas took control of Gaza. The Palestinian Authority (PA), under the control of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), remained responsible in the West Bank, while Hamas controlled Gaza. Two of the competing Palestinian departments are still in place.

There was no widespread international recognition of Palestine as a difference in the lives of ordinary Palestinians. So far, 147 United Nations member states have recognized Palestine, including China and Russia. When Ireland, Norway and Spain admitted to the Palestinian state last year, all the four governments claimed that recognition sent an irreplaceable signal. But he did not help the Palestinian people one. Israel (and the United States) hardly noticed, along with saying unstable things about the reward for “worshiping death”. They did not change their policy.

The United Kingdom and French are likely to deal with the same contempt of Jerusalem and Washington. However, despite the Israeli threat of their operations, London and Paris will not be able to agree on effective measures to punish Israel, such as sanctions. Each of the two governments still believes in Israel and its right to defend itself. Both of them are still on what happened on October 7, 2023, and still sees clear shortcomings in the way the Palestinian Authority is operating. Each of the United Kingdom and France as part of the European Union prohibits Hamas as a terrorist organization.

In fact, British and French recognition may increase lengths. Hamas may see advantages in sweeping corrupt geronts in Ramallah; It is more popular than the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank these days. Benjamin Netanyahu, who does not participate in a two -state solution, may increase the operations in both Gaza and the West Bank to confirm who is responsible, and send a more effective message to Britain and France more than they send.

The two -state solution remains the only way to achieve long -term peace, but for the time being, conditions cannot be more hostile. For this reason, Britain and France realize Palestine is an empty gesture. But it seems that the confession boat sailed. Britain and France made statements forward; Governments find it difficult to ignore the continuous public demands.

Public opinion responds to what Israel is doing in Gaza. Collective punishment is illegal. What Israel is doing to the residents of Gaza because Hamas refuses to hand over more than 50 hostages (about 20 neighborhoods and 30 dead) and dismantle its leadership to the collective punishment. Israel does not do enough to prevent hunger.

By September, Israel will not have achieved the conditions set by Starmer to avoid recognition. Israel (and its supporters) will say that this is not a mistake in Israel. The British government will remain freedom of maneuvering either in recognition of the state of Palestine or the postponement of recognition. But at that point, failure to recognize the same level of weakness, as I think confession now appears. What to do?

The government can recognize Palestine while recognizing the weakness of this. The ministers should facilitate the speech on the pretext that it is a historical moment, and instead focus on the basic and future principles. The only way for my people to live alongside peace is for each of them to have their own condition. Israel did not fulfill the state standards when it was created for the first time. But the friends of Israel neglected the shortcomings, while its opponents (like Stalin) argued that the Jews were not even a people.

The unique complexity of the history and geography of Israel/Palestine will mean that the situation of Palestine, when it is real, is likely to appear different from any of the other 193 United Nations members. It may not have an army. It may not have exclusive control over its borders. But it will remain worth it. The Palestinian people deserve the best of the fate they have suffered decades ago, which is the fate of a terrible deterioration since the ceasefire collapsed in March this year. We should not forget them.

Perhaps the best option in September is for Britain to adopt the fact that it makes a gesture, and does not pretend that the gesture had severe and long -term consequences. It would make the gesture realize that time, hard work and imagination still need to reach the ultimate goal of the two -state solution, but at this desperate time, this gesture was the last hope to maintain this solution. In diplomacy, it is very important that the activity is not wrong for effective work. But sometimes the activity is all we offer.

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