Palestine on the Verge of Major Diplomatic Breakthrough
Palestine is poised to achieve a significant diplomatic milestone with the expected recognition of its state status by ten new countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, and Canada, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. These recognitions would bring the total number of countries that have officially recognized the Palestinian state to 159 out of 193 UN member states.
Announcement and Expected Recognitions
The announcement was made on Sunday in Ramallah by Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Shahin, who specified that four countries - the United Kingdom, Portugal, Australia, and Canada - would immediately formalize their decision, while others, including France, Belgium, Luxembourg, San Marino, Andorra, and Malta, would follow in the coming weeks. This diplomatic momentum comes two months after the "Summit for a Two-State Solution" organized by Saudi Arabia and France at the United Nations headquarters, without American participation.
Political and Legal Implications
For the Palestinians, these recognitions represent more than a symbolic gesture. They are seen as a political and legal consecration of the Palestinian people's national rights. "These are courageous acts that conform to international law and UN resolutions," said Ahmad Al-Deek, political advisor to the Foreign Minister. According to him, these decisions constitute "an explicit recognition of the right to self-determination" and direct support for efforts to end the occupation. Al-Deek emphasized: "Peace cannot be built on tanks or bulldozers, nor through bombings, forced displacement, and annexation. It is based on international law."
Palestinian Leadership's Objectives
The Palestinian leadership aims to capitalize on this wave of recognitions to relaunch its demand for full membership in the UN, where it currently has the status of "observer state." It also hopes to strengthen its diplomatic and legal actions to:
- Hold the Zionist entity accountable for its crimes
- Stop unilateral occupation measures
- Consolidate the international legal personality of the Palestinian state
- Develop bilateral relations with partner countries
Enhanced Diplomatic Representations
The recognitions are expected to lead to concrete developments on the diplomatic level. Palestinian missions in these countries will be elevated to the rank of embassies, the Palestinian flag will be officially raised, and ceremonies will mark the occasion. In some cases, Palestinian ambassadors will have to present new letters of credence directly to the highest authorities of the host state.
France's Recognition
France, for example, has already announced that it will recognize the Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, thus confirming its commitment to the two-state solution.
Reaction from the Zionist Entity
The prospect of these recognitions has triggered the anger of officials from the Zionist entity. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned that "the international community may one day recognize a Palestinian state, but it will not lead to anything concrete on the ground."
Expert Analysis
According to colonization expert Suhail Khalilieh, the Zionist entity could accelerate its colonization projects, such as the E1 plan east of Jerusalem, or impose de facto annexation measures on several Palestinian villages. These initiatives would aim to reduce international recognition to a mere symbolic effect, without real translation on the ground.
Critical Context
For Bilal Al-Shobaki, a professor of political science at Hebron University, these recognitions come at a crucial moment. "They go against the Zionist entity's attempts to erase the Palestinian cause or reduce it to a humanitarian issue," he explains. However, he relativizes their impact. "For the Palestinian population, the immediate priority remains the cessation of the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip. Many see these Western gestures as a way to end the war rather than a deep conviction in favor of creating a Palestinian state."
Late Recognition
For many Palestinian analysts, these recognitions, although significant, come too late to change the situation on the ground. "They would have had a real impact twenty years ago," judges Khalilieh. "Today, the Zionist entity is exploiting this dynamic to strengthen its control and further fragment the West Bank."
Despite these reservations, the Palestinian leadership considers this diplomatic movement a moral victory and a strategic point of support for keeping the Palestinian question at the center of the international agenda, as the Zionist entity attempts to redefine the realities on the ground.
