The Palestinian pursuit of statehood at the UN would still encounter major obstacles, even in the face of growing international support. Since the 1967 Six Day War, Israel has increased its footprint. It expanded to include East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza. Territorial expansion has fueled permanent disputes. At the same time it has devised a tortured geopolitical landscape, particularly around the long-term feasibility of a Palestinian state.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deeply opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state. He says it would turn into “a firing base from which to destroy Israel.” This sentiment reflects a broader stance within the Israeli government, which has characterized calls for Palestinian statehood as rewards for terrorism. This rejection of a Palestinian state remains a centerpiece of Israeli policy, making any progress toward peace exceedingly difficult.
In sharp opposition, over 140 countries have recognized the statehood of Palestine. And France, Britain, and Canada—key U.S. allies—have all played active roles, using their economic and geopolitical clout. Instead, they are powerful voices for justice for the Palestinian people. The international community’s increased pressure on Israel is an indication of a change in the diplomatic climate toward the decades-old conflict.
The Oslo Accords of the 1990s laid out a potential framework for establishing a Palestinian state, envisioning borders based on the pre-1967 territories. Israel’s continued push of settlements in the occupied West Bank poses insurmountable hurdles. This disconnection and fragmentation makes it nearly impossible to piece together a contiguous and economically viable Palestinian state. These settlements not only extend into land assigned for Palestinians, but destroy faith within the peace talks themselves.
Yet amid this labyrinth of challenges, Netanyahu has not pausingly indicated that he is willing to rethink his long-standing opposition to Palestinian statehood. His government continues to double down, as always, on ignoring international calls and forgoing any compromise. This maximalist policy is only likely to embolden and isolate Israel diplomatically, as the world, led by a growing global consensus, moves closer toward supporting Palestinian hopes and desires.
And claim, apparently with a straight face, that Saudi Arabia is actively championing Palestinian rights. The country has repeatedly stated that it will not normalize relations with Israel until the latter proves its seriousness in establishing a Palestinian state. This position further demonstrates the ways regional politics intersect with the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It implies that progress on the two-state solution could further open the door to normalizing Israeli relations with other regional powers in the Middle East.
And with the ongoing and bloody war in Gaza, the urgency of ending this costly war grows ever more imperative. According to the Associated Press, at least 60,700 Palestinians have died, and an estimated 1,200 Israelis have been killed. The call for a non-violent, diplomatic solution could not be greater. Advocates of a state for the Palestinians on the West Bank say it would stop much of this violence and promote peaceful coexistence.
For Palestinians, the story that the world has come to accept about Israel’s founding in 1948 is filled with pain and loss. This era became referred to as al-Naqba, or “the catastrophe.” It represents the chronic, violent disruption of hundreds of thousands of people who did not choose to leave their homes. This legacy still fuels Palestinian understandings and desires for nationhood and independence.
As pressure from the international community grows, so too hangs in the balance the fate of Palestinian statehood itself. The Israeli government’s hardline, uncompromising rejection of such a possibility is in stark opposition to the growing global support for Palestinian rights. The snakebitten past and present struggles over this issue stir passions on both sides that run very deep.
