International Recognitions: Implications and Tasks

Author: جهاد حرب

The recent wave of international recognitions from significant Western countries carries political implications; it is not merely symbolic, meaning it will not have a real impact on the course of the Palestinian issue and the Palestinian political struggle, as some promote. Additionally, it does not have a magical effect in the short term, meaning it will not have a direct impact on the lives of citizens by stopping Israeli crimes in Gaza and the West Bank, as some hope.

These recognitions indicate three fundamental changes and essential issues:

(1) A shift in Western thinking regarding giving Israel a veto right over the establishment of a state and linking the recognition of the Palestinian state to Israel's approval of it after negotiations that have been stalled since 2014.

(2) International recognition of the delineation of the Palestinian state’s borders based on the lines of June 4, 1967, in principle; this represents a change in the nature of the conflict from a dispute over occupied lands to aggression and occupation of the territory of the State of Palestine.

(3) A commitment to protect and implement the two-state solution through mandatory measures; it is not necessarily something we will see soon, given the disparities in the interests of countries and the submission of their elites, at least for now, to the pressure of the dominant Israeli lobby that controls the political class and elites in many Western countries and dictates media and financial narratives.

This wave of recognitions has come about due to multiple driving factors, including: the Palestinian diplomatic and political efforts over the last fifteen years within international institutions, including the United Nations, the nuances of bilateral and multilateral diplomatic relations, the sacrifices of Palestinians in Gaza over the past two years due to Israeli governmental crimes, the fear of the demise of the two-state solution due to policies of the Israeli government that openly seeks to eliminate and reject this option, and the changes in the European street that expresses solidarity with the Palestinian people and condemns Israeli crimes, which have influenced electoral voting in Western countries. Additionally, there are ongoing Arab efforts aimed at achieving these recognitions and stopping the genocide in Gaza.

In my opinion, this wave of recognitions presents additional challenges for the political class and ruling elites to work on Palestinian issues along three mandatory pathways: the first pathway consists of monitoring the impact and translating the international commitments stemming from these recognitions into action for the protection and implementation of the two-state solution. This is a long path, but it deserves diligent work and the perseverance of the optimistic.

The second pathway requires Palestinian commitment to the pledges made by President Mahmoud Abbas to the French President, Saudi Crown Prince, and British Prime Minister to achieve fundamental political and procedural reforms for building effective and accountable state institutions, a "democratic state based on law and institutions" and social justice.

The third pathway involves activating the role of the authority's institutions and agencies to protect citizens and enhance their resilience by engaging in the process of framing popular resistance and developing its tools in response to expected Israeli policies and actions against settlers and their attacks. This third pathway requires establishing a form of national unity at both the elite level through alliances of political forces and the popular level by engaging social sectors in national action, and entrenching popular resistance as a means of struggle that includes multiple and varied methods.