Statehood for Palestine: Symbolism must translate into substance

WITH the UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta and others now formally recognising Palestine as a state, more than three-quarters of the United Nations membership have extended legitimacy to Palestinian statehood. For a people long denied the dignity of self-determination, this is both an affirmation of rights and a symbolic victory. But recognition on paper does not change realities on the ground. Israeli settlements continue to expand in the West Bank, the blockade of Gaza remains unyielding and violence flares periodically, eroding any hope of stability. Palestinians live under daily restrictions that mock the very notion of sovereignty. Unless recognition is backed by practical measures — political, economic and legal — it risks being little more than a gesture.

The ground reality reflects hypocrisy. The US, Israel’s staunchest ally, and key G7 powers such as Germany, Italy and Japan still refuse to follow suit. Their argument remains anchored in Israel’s security concerns. But peace cannot be built on one people’s rights being conditional on another’s sense of safety. A two-state solution — endorsed by the UN as the only viable framework — demands parity.

Meanwhile, New Delhi, which recognised Palestine in 1988, has been voicing support for its statehood even while cultivating close ties with Israel. But, during the present conflict, India was conspicuously late to comment. This reflects its cautious balancing act between historical solidarity and strategic partnership. The hesitation underscores the difficulty of aligning moral clarity with realpolitik. The recognition wave can only be seen as a moral compass pointing in the right direction. Diplomacy must now turn to enforcement: halting settlement expansion, dismantling apartheid-like restrictions, ensuring humanitarian access and pushing for credible negotiations. Without these, Palestine will remain a state in name alone. The test is whether the international community has the will to act.