Despite growing recognition for Palestine, real change remains elusive

The UK, Canada, Australia and Portugal all formally recognised Palestinian statehood over the weekend.

France followed suit at a conference on Palestine and the two-state solution, which it co-hosted with Saudi Arabia on Monday.

Addressing the General Assembly in New York, President Emmanuel Macron said nothing could justify "the ongoing war in Gaza".

"The time has come to stop war, the bombing in Gaza, the massacres and the fleeing people," he said. "The time for peace has come."

It marked a significant, albeit symbolic, move especially for the UK and France, said Rowena Abdul Razak, Lecturer in Middle East History at SOAS University of London.

“After all, it was the UK that created Israel through the Balfour Declaration back in 1917,” she told Astro AWANI.

“So in a way, this is a very symbolic, if a little bit ironic move, that now Britain is recognising Palestine.”

France’s recognition was also seen as notable, given its colonial history in the Middle East.

So far, 149 out of 193 UN member states have recognised a Palestinian state.

Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for Hamas to surrender its weapons, saying the group would have no role in governing Gaza in the future.

"What we want is one unified state without weapons, a state with one law and one legitimate security force," he said in a remote speech after he and his delegation were denied visa access to the U.S.

Abbas added that within three months of the war's end, an interim constitution would be drafted to ensure a smooth transfer of power.

More than 65,000 people have been killed in Israel attacks on Gaza since October 7, 2023.

A United Nations Commission of Inquiry recently concluded that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, accusing top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of incitement.

It cited mass killings, aid blockages, forced displacement, and even the destruction of a fertility clinic as evidence of genocide.

But meaningful change remains unlikely as the U.S. continues to support Israel, its largest cumulative recipient of foreign aid since World War II.

Just last week, Washington vetoed a UN resolution calling for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The U.S. is one of five permanent members of the Security Council with veto power.

“Recognising Palestine is great, but what kind of Palestine are we going to be left with?” questioned Rowena.

“The only good thing with the recognition of Palestine is that the U.S. and Israel are going to be increasingly isolated internationally.”

Spain recently approved a total arms embargo on Israel, as part of a wider package of measures Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described as a response to “the genocide in Gaza.”

Meanwhile, the European Commission has unveiled plans to restrict trade with Israel and sanction extremist ministers in its government.

According to Rowena, such moves could increase pressure on the U.S. and Israel, undercutting the justifications they have used to prolong their campaign in Gaza.

While recognition signals political will, it will not create a Palestinian state or end the conflict overnight.

In response to the wave of recognition, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that a Palestinian state would never be established.

His government has also pledged to annex the West Bank, including ordering the indefinite closure of the King Hussein Bridge—the only gateway for people and goods between the occupied West Bank and Jordan.

Urgent measures are needed, said Rowena, beginning with a permanent ceasefire.

“Ceasefire is the most important thing. From then on we need to think about rebuilding.

“It's going to be harder and harder for Israel to continue its campaign, which has always been to get rid of Hamas. But if Britain and France have now recognised Palestine, that is a kind of recognition of Hamas as a power in Gaza.”

Rowena also called for the rollback of illegal settlements in the West Bank, which have long been condemned under international law and by the United Nations.

“There is no point in having a Palestinian state with no land. We need to go back to the borders, ideally the 1948 borders.” added Rowena.