The US claims it wants the Palestinians to have their very own state – but their actions speak a special language

Spain, Ireland and Norway recognized a Palestinian State in May 2024, bringing the whole number of nations doing so to 144.

The United States isn’t one in all them.

The United States has officially supported a two-state solution because the Clinton administration within the Nineteen Nineties, meaning that each Israel and a Palestinian state could be recognized as official countries. President Joe Biden reiterated this position at his press conference on July 11, 2024, following the NATO summit. he said“There is no definitive answer other than a two-state solution.”

But the United States has consistently blocked the total recognition of the Palestinian territories as a state – not less than symbolically – by stopping them from becoming the 194th member state of the United Nations. Palestine has the status of Permanent Observer to the United Nationswhere it’s represented by the Palestinian Authority. As a everlasting observer, Palestine can attend most meetings but cannot vote on international agreements or recommendations.

I’m a Scholar of international affairs and a former US diplomat. To understand this paradox, it’s good to know a bit history.

At the start

When the State of Israel was founded in 1948, it was immediately attacked by its Arab neighbours Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, who didn’t recognise its right to exist but did nothing to create a Palestinian state. Subsequent wars Since then, the region has been suffering from minor hostilities.

Over the years, the United States has provided Israel with extensive support, politically, financially, and militarily. At the identical time, the United States has tried to maneuver Israeli, Palestinian, and Arab leaders toward a day once they could all live in peace.

The current war in Gaza has led Israeli politicians and others to assert that Discussion about Palestinian state rewards Hamas for the massacre of Israeli residents that began the war. But sooner or later the war will end and the issue that began it’ll remain unresolved. And I consider that if it isn’t resolved, the tip of the war will only be temporary.

Many issues would then must be addressed by Palestinian and Israeli politicians, in addition to the leaders of other countries that support them within the negotiations. The three most vital could be the borders of a Palestinian state, the appropriate of some Palestinians to return to the land they were forced to flee in 1948, and the status of Jerusalem – which each Palestinians and Israelis should be their capital.

While the United States has sought to encourage negotiations that result in peace without dictating the final result, it has long officially advocated a two-state solution. For example, former President Donald Trump said in 2018: “I am for a two-state solution solution. That is what I think works best … That is my feeling.” Other presidents, like George W. Bush and Barack Obama have also tried to steer the parties to barter.

But while the American government’s vision of peace theoretically envisages the creation of a Palestinian state, the United States has repeatedly blocked attempts on the UN to revoke Palestine’s status as a Observer in a full member state.

This could be greater than a symbolic change, as a Palestinian state could be officially recognized as a rustic within the eyes of the international community, which might also give it prestige in other international organizations and courts.

The US only prevented this in April 2024. when it vetoed a “resolution on Palestinian statehood” within the Security Council, which must approve recent UN members. The USA is one in all the five everlasting members of the Security Council, together with France, Great Britain, China and Russia. These countries each have the appropriate to dam any declaration or statement made by the Council – in contrast to the ten other rotating Council members, who only have voting rights.

What would a state appear to be?

Because agreement on the borders of a Palestinian state and other issues shall be so difficult, effective mediation is important for peace. However, the United States has largely squandered its role on this process by isolated and inconsistent position.

A White House spokesman declared in May 2024 that the United States believes that statehood shouldn’t be achieved “through unilateral recognition” but as a substitute “through direct negotiations between the parties.”

This reasoning is problematic in two respects. First, 144 countries have already recognized on the United Nations that a Palestinian state as a rusticin order that recognition is hardly one-sided. And it was the United Nations that founded Israel in 1948.

Second, Israel currently has probably the most extreme right-wing government in its history. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long made it clear that he decidedly against to a Palestinian state. If he were even willing to debate the potential for such a state, his coalition would immediately collapse and he could be forced out of office.

To avoid the pressure to debate statehood, Netanyahu encouraged other countries for years to Transfer tons of of hundreds of thousands of dollars to Hamasknowing full well that this organization would never negotiate. He did this to weaken the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, and is able to talk.

The origin of the inconsistency

So why before the current Gaza warhas the US rejected a small step – recognition of a Palestinian state on the UN – towards a two-state solution, which it believes is the one path to sustainable peace? And why does the US proceed to face in lockstep with an Israeli government that may never allow this to occur?

The explanation is easy: domestic politics.

While 89% of Jewish Americans said in April 2024 Although they support Israel's reasons for fighting Hamas, the Gaza war has caused some divisions within the Jewish-American community.

American Jews have strongly favored the Democratic Party for a long time, and The defense of Israel stays a very important issue for themBut Israel, believing that support might wane, began reaching out to evangelical Christians a long time ago. They are adamant Republican Party grassroots votersFor lots of them, unconditional loyalty to Israel has turn out to be an article of religion.

Now Republicans and a few Democrats are competing to see who will higher friend for IsraelAs the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court requested arrest warrants To vote for Netanyahu and one other Israeli leader in addition to Hamas leaders in May 2024, the House of Representatives reacted quickly in a unusually bipartisan effortby passing a law that punishes anyone who helps the ICC prosecute Israelis.

To avoid such divisive political controversies, President Bill Clinton only spoke out in favor of a two-state solution in his final weeks in office.

Given the political reality of the continuing war, one might ask why this is vital. A Palestinian state wouldn’t turn out to be a separate country by joining the UN. Israelis and Palestinians would have to come back to an agreement first. But this UN status could be a glimmer of hope for individuals who dream of getting their identity recognized and their wish for their very own country in the future being fulfilled.

There is not any probability that such a major policy shift could occur in the course of a US presidential election campaign. But if peace is ever to be achieved, more people on either side would must change their minds. And I’m convinced that the creation of a Palestinian state, not less than on paper, would do more to attain that goal than the rest the US could do.