Statehood for Palestine: Symbolism must translate into substance
The Tribune Editorial: Israeli settlements continue to expand in the West Bank, the blockade of Gaza remains unyielding and violence flares periodically, eroding any hope of stability
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.
