Despite 157 UN member states recognizing Palestine as a state, it remains under Israeli control, limiting its practical statehood.
Recognition by countries including France, the UK, Australia, and Canada is seen as an effort to keep alive the two-state solution, envisioning a Palestinian state alongside Israel. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized the goal of peace, stating that currently, neither a secure Israel nor a viable Palestinian state exists.
However, on the ground, recognition has not advanced Palestinian statehood significantly. Israel has continued expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank and reaffirmed its stance against allowing a Palestinian state following Palestine’s recognition at the UN General Assembly.
(Palestine) two-state solution
International law typically refers to the 1933 Montevideo Convention to define statehood, which requires a defined territory, a government, a permanent population, and the capacity to engage in relations with other states recognition by others is not mandatory.
Most countries recognizing Palestine reference borders close to those before the 1967 war, including Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, territories occupied by Israel since then, which is widely considered illegal under international law.
The Oslo Accords in the 1990s established the Palestinian Authority (PA) to initiate the path toward statehood, with the PA conducting foreign relations and maintaining diplomatic missions in many countries.
Millions of Palestinians live permanently in these territories, but the PA’s ability to govern independently is disputed, as Israel restricts its authority, raising questions about Palestine’s full statehood capacity.
