Britain and France Talk Palestinian Statehood
Palestinian statehood? Yesterday, news broke that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer would recognize a Palestinian state if Israel and Hamas did not reach a lasting ceasefire agreement by September. The week prior, French politicians had made similar noises, with France and over a dozen other countries unveiling a joint resolution from the United Nations yesterday that would do much the same.
The actions of Britain and France reflect souring public approval for both Israel’s war in Gaza—which attempts to stamp out the terrorist group Hamas, responsible for perpetrating the October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 and took 250 hostage—and Israel’s increasingly aggressive actions in the West Bank.
In the West Bank, Israeli forces have displaced more Palestinians while also expanding plans for settlements, worsening relations.
The joint resolution articulates a vision for two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, “living side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders.” The diplomats seem to recognize that, for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas holding any power going forward is a nonstarter, and “said they were determined to develop an international framework for the ‘day after’ in Gaza that would include reconstruction, the disarmament of Hamas, and its exclusion from governance structures,” per AMU.
To go back to basics, statehood criteria were laid out all the way back in 1933. There are four elements that must be satisfied: a permanent population, territorial boundaries that are clearly defined, and a government—presumably the Palestinian Authority that runs the West Bank—that must be able to conduct international affairs. Recognizing Palestinian statehood would require that many countries engage in “a complete revision of bilateral relations with Israel,” Ardi Imseis, an associate professor at Queen’s University Faculty of Law in Ontario, told The New York Times. “For example,” continues the Times, “if an aspect of trade aids or assists Israel in violation of the rights of a Palestinian state, then the recognizing nation would have to cease that exchange.”
It does not seem all that likely to happen. But it’s significant that so many European nations, including some of the most powerful, are signaling their interest in recognizing statehood; support for Netanyahu domestically has ebbed and flowed, but it’s certainly waned internationally over the last few months as Israel’s campaign in Gaza has gone on longer and reports of Israeli troops opening fire on Gazans attempting to access humanitarian aid
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