The global push for the official recognition of Palestine is gaining momentum as key international powers prepare for upcoming UN Security Council sessions scheduled for 9 September 2025. Several governments have announced their support for a two-state solution, yet the real question remains: what is left of the Palestinian state to recognise?
Countries such as Britain, France, Canada, and Australia are reportedly preparing conditional recognitions of Palestine—following in the footsteps of Ireland, Norway, Spain, Slovenia, Armenia, as well as the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago, all of which formally recognised Palestine in 2024.
A Legacy of Broken Promises: The “Two-State Solution”
The concept of a two-state solution was first proposed by the United Nations Partition Plan of 1947 (Resolution 181), which recommended the end of the British Mandate and the partition of Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, with Jerusalem under international administration. Despite its adoption in peace initiatives since, Israel has consistently undermined its core pillars, while deepening the occupation and reshaping the reality on the ground to render any viable Palestinian state nearly impossible.
Even as the Palestinian Authority clings to the two-state model, and Hamas updated its political charter to accept a state on 1967 borders, Israel has refused to accept the fundamentals of this proposal, steadily dismantling its feasibility.
1. Borders: Dismantled in Practice
Under the two-state framework, a future Palestinian state would consist of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem as its capital, with the possibility of limited land swaps by mutual agreement. Yet, over decades, Israel has worked to reject this premise entirely.
In July 2025, the Israeli Knesset passed a non-binding resolution calling for the formal annexation of the West Bank, declaring its sprawling settlements as “integral parts of the Land of Israel.” Successive Israeli governments—especially under Netanyahu—have declared the 1967 borders “indefensible”.
Meanwhile, Israel has:
- Rapidly expanded settlements, particularly in Area C
- Built the separation wall, slicing deep into Palestinian land
- Created de facto annexation via infrastructure, settler roads, and military zones
The Oslo II Accords (1995) divided the West Bank into Areas A, B, and C:
- Area A (18%) is under nominal Palestinian control
- Area B (21%) has shared administration but Israeli security dominance
- Area C (over 60%) is under full Israeli control, containing most settlements and vital resources
Though this division was meant to be temporary, with final status negotiations within five years, Israel blocked the transfer of further territory while continuing to expand settlements and impose military dominance.
This fragmentation has created a system akin to apartheid, where Palestinians are confined to isolated enclaves with restricted building rights, while Israeli settlers enjoy free movement and expansion across the same areas. In Area C, Palestinian construction is nearly impossible due to permit denials, leading to widespread demolitions and forced displacement.
2. Gaza: From Siege to Genocide
Since 2007, the Gaza Strip has been subjected to a crippling siege that has intensified over time, punctuated by multiple devastating wars. The current war—a campaign of genocide—has led to the occupation of large parts of Gaza and the systematic destruction of its infrastructure.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been martyred, and entire neighbourhoods obliterated. As of mid-2025, mass starvation has set in due to Israel’s full blockade on humanitarian, food, and medical aid.
3. Jerusalem: Erased from the Table
Under the two-state proposal, Jerusalem would be divided—with West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and East Jerusalem as Palestine’s, and international arrangements managing the holy sites.
However, Israel passed a Basic Law declaring Jerusalem its “eternal and undivided capital” and has categorically rejected any form of shared sovereignty over the city.
Israel continues to:
- Strip Palestinians of residency rights
- Demolish homes
- Fund settler organisations like Ateret Cohanim
- Implement large-scale projects to alter the demographic and religious character of the city (e.g. the “Light Rail” and “Mount of Olives National Park”)
Despite official international support for a shared Jerusalem, many Western states—led by the United States—have recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moved their embassies there, without reciprocating recognition of East Jerusalem as Palestine’s.
4. Refugees and the Right of Return: Systematically Undermined
UN Resolution 194 outlines the return, compensation, or resettlement of Palestinian refugees. Yet Israel outright rejects any form of right of return, framing it as a “demographic threat” that would compromise the “Jewish character” of the state.
Israel has:
- Refused all discussions on implementing Resolution 194
- Led global efforts to dismantle UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees
- Passed laws (October 2024) banning UNRWA operations in the occupied territories and revoking its privileges
Israel accuses UNRWA employees of participating in the 7 October 2023 Hamas operation—claims denied by the agency and refuted by the United Nations, which has reaffirmed UNRWA’s neutrality and essential humanitarian role.
In the face of ongoing genocide, Palestinians now rely on UNRWA more than ever, yet Israel seeks to eliminate its role entirely. The U.S.-backed “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation”, accused of involvement in war crimes, is now promoted as the sole authorised distributor of aid—further marginalising UNRWA.
5. Sovereignty: A State Without Control
The two-state solution assumes a fully sovereign Palestinian state, but Israel demands total security control “from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea” and rejects any independent Palestinian military force.
Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that “any future Palestinian entity must be entirely demilitarised”—a stance that contradicts the basic principles of sovereignty.
Israel:
- Controls all borders and crossings
- Imposes a complete blockade on Gaza
- Retains control over Palestinian airspace and maritime zones
- Manages population registries, customs, and trade flows
At best, this reduces any proposed Palestinian state to a limited autonomy under full Israeli hegemony.
Peace Process Paralysed by Design
Despite the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which offered full normalisation with Israel in exchange for complete withdrawal from occupied territories, Israel never issued a formal response.
It continues to reject any UN, EU, or Quartet-sponsored peace frameworks, branding them as “unacceptable external impositions.”
Worse still, several Arab regimes have normalised ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords without securing a single gain for the Palestinian cause. Other states are considering similar steps, though the ongoing genocide in Gaza has disrupted this trajectory, prompting renewed calls for justice and a real resolution to the Palestinian issue.
