The recognition this weekend of Palestine by the UK, Canada, and Australia represents a major victory for the Palestinian people and a long-overdue correction of historic injustice. They join an increasing number of countries that now affirm a basic truth: sovereignty and rights in this land belong to the Palestinian people. As the International Court of Justice has made clear, Israel has no legitimate claim to sovereignty, self-defense, or permanent presence in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Recognition on the June 4, 1967 borders reinforces UN resolutions that reject Israel’s illegal settlements, its annexation of East Jerusalem, and unilateral changes to Muslim and Christian holy places. Even while Palestine remains under occupation, recognition creates a vital paradigm shift. As Geneva peace negotiator Nomi Bar-Yaacov observed, “When you’re negotiating state versus state, it’s not the same as negotiating between a state and an unrecognized entity.”
This shift moves the discussion away from whose land Palestine is to the relations between the two neighboring states. Peace talks would then focus on permanent borders, refugees, settlements, water rights, and economic cooperation. At the same time, recognition denies legitimacy to Israel’s occupation. As long as Israel persists in its unlawful presence, it will continue to face international opprobrium and fail to gain the legitimacy it seeks.
One of the most absurd arguments by Israel and its supporters is that this recognition by leading Western countries is a reward for terror. Palestinians for a century have been yearning for the right of self-determination. The 2002 Arab peace plan offered Arab and Muslim normalization with Israel if its army withdraws from Arab occupied territories. Israel has unilaterally ended all negotiations with Palestinians since 2014 and has repeatedly refused offers made by Palestine’s President, Mahmoud Abbas, who has been publicly opposed to Hamas and its methods for years. He supported, for example, the French-Saudi plan that calls for disarming Hamas.
Palestine has long met the requirements for statehood. In 2012, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to recognize it as a non-member state. The only obstacle to full UN membership remains the U.S. veto at the Security Council. Recognition by more states—including France and Portugal, along with the three mentioned above—further undermines Israel’s claim that the West Bank is “disputed” territory, a claim often rooted in religious or ideological justifications.
Recognition also strengthens the legal framework of the occupation. Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, an occupying power must administer territory for the benefit of its population—providing food, medicine, humanitarian access, and public order. Israel’s courts have resisted applying these obligations, claiming Palestinian land is “disputed.” But recognition cements the reality: Palestine is a state under occupation, with people whose rights cannot be dismissed.
It is within this broader context that Britain’s recent recognition acquires particular weight. The United Kingdom was the country that issued the Balfour Declaration in 1917, promising a Jewish homeland in Palestine while disregarding the indigenous Arab majority. Earlier, in the McMahon-Hussein correspondence between the British High Commissioner for Egypt and the sharif of Mecca in 1915-16, Britain had pledged independence to Arab leaders. Its subsequent Mandate deepened these contradictions, and its 1948 withdrawal left Palestinians displaced while armed Jewish militias seized land.
For the UK to now recognize Palestine carries enormous symbolic power. As former foreign secretary David Lammy reminded the UN, Britain bears a “special burden of responsibility” to advance a two-state solution. Recognition represents a step toward correcting its historical missteps and honoring promises once made to the Arab world.
Yet recognition alone does not end the occupation or Israel’s devastating war on Gaza. What it does is place a permanent marker: the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza are Palestinian territories whose people have the right to self-determination. But the international community must go further—pressing Israel to freeze settlements, halt disproportionate attacks, hold settlers accountable, and respect prior agreements such as the 1993 Declaration of Principles.
Supporting Palestinian governance is also essential. President Abbas, despite relentless demonization, has consistently pursued peaceful solutions, rejecting reconciliation with Hamas and accepting the French-Saudi plan to disarm it. Recognition should be paired with investment in Palestinian institutions and preparation for democratic elections that can produce leaders with a clear mandate to negotiate.
A credible peace roadmap could involve replacing Israeli forces with a neutral international and Arab presence for a transitional period. This would allow Palestinians to hold elections and empower leaders with legitimacy in negotiations. And if Israel retaliates with annexation or further repression, the international community must be prepared to act under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, including through sanctions.
Peace in the Middle East is still possible. Recognition of a democratic and independent Palestine is not the final step, but it is the essential first step. Only with recognition, accountability, and genuine political will can the world secure a just and lasting coexistence between Israel and Palestine.
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Recognition of Palestine Is Such a Big Deal appeared first on New Republic.
