Recognition of Palestine: will it bring peace?
The UK, Canada and Australia have joined the growing group of states that have recognised Palestine as an independent state. Canada and the UK are the first G7 countries to take this step. Other states have announced that they will follow suit. Commentators emphasise the symbolic nature of the decision and call for further steps to advance the two-state solution.
Confusing wish and reality
At this point in time recognition as an independent state can do nothing for Palestine, sociologist Pedro Gomes Sanches points out in Expresso:
“Recognition (which I am all for as I continue to support the two-state solution) should be a consequence of the (positive) attitude of the Palestinians (and their 'governments') and not a punishment for Israel. You want to put Israel under pressure? Then demand withdrawal from the settlements, for example. Recognising Palestine under these conditions (or rather without conditions) is not an act of justice, but a mistake. It is to confuse wishful thinking and reality.”
Gesture of despair
Spotmedia hopes for a new dynamic:
“Against the backdrop of the war in the Gaza Strip, recognising the Palestinian state will not bring immediate peace, but it could revive international talks on a lasting solution. Those in favour of recognition hope that this wave of support will shake up the diplomatic order and restart a long-neglected political process. Since Israel is not really responding and the US continues to block progress, the recognition of the Palestinian state seems like not just a political gesture but also a global declaration of despair.”
A clear message to two peoples
France also plans to recognise Palestine at a summit meeting on the fringes of the UN General Assembly on Monday. Recognition is not enough, but it is indispensable, Le Monde argues:
“It is a message to two peoples aimed at dragging the stronger of the two, trapped in its painful history, away from the illusion of omnipotence and offering a spark of hope to those who continue to suffer in Gaza and the West Bank. ... The practical limits of this initiative are obvious, given the uncompromising stance of Benjamin Netanyahu, who is blindly supported by Donald Trump. But today, a wait-and-see approach amounts to a declaration of powerlessness. ... Recognising the State of Palestine will of course not be enough to bring about peace. But not recognising it would hasten the destruction of the two-state solution and guarantee an endless war.”
More substantive steps needed
This act of recognition is by no means enough, says The Guardian:
“The mass diplomatic shift is symbolic; the US will continue to block full Palestinian membership of the UN. At best, this is part of a concerted effort to end the war. ... The more cynical reckoning is that governments are scrambling to appease domestic anger at their complicity, and avoiding more substantive steps. ... Britain and European states must end all arms transfers and military cooperation, cut trade privileges and pursue international accountability. Promoting a mirage of a Palestinian state without taking meaningful action to halt the annihilation would be cruel, cowardly and self-serving.”