The idea of a Palestinian state has gained significant traction in recent weeks, with three of the world’s most powerful Western nations – France, the United Kingdom, and Canada – adding their economic and geopolitical clout to calls for its establishment. This development has been welcomed by Palestinians, who see it as a boost for their cause. However, the Israeli government has rejected the calls, describing them as tantamount to rewarding terrorism.
US President Donald Trump seems increasingly frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, particularly over the starvation in Gaza that Netanyahu denies but has disturbed Trump. Trump wants regional peace and the accolades that come with it, including a potential Nobel Peace Prize. However, Riyadh has been firm that normalizing relations with Israel cannot happen without an irreversible path to a Palestinian state.
The latest moves by US allies France, Britain, and Canada have left Washington increasingly isolated over its backing for Israel. A Palestinian statehood could help bring an end to the war that has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza since Hamas’s brutal October 7 attack killed around 1,200 people in Israel. However, one of the toughest challenges is imagining what a modern Palestinian state would look like, given that it has never existed before.
When Israel was founded in the aftermath of World War II, it quickly gained international recognition. In contrast, for Palestinians, this period is remembered as al-Naqba, or “the catastrophe,” when hundreds of thousands of people fled or were forced from their homes. Since then, Israel has expanded, most significantly during the “Six Day War” of 1967, when Israel gained East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza. Palestinian territory has meanwhile only shrunk and splintered.
The closest to what a future Palestinian state may look like was hashed out in a peace process in the 1990s known as the Oslo Accords. The Palestinian state envisaged in Oslo would be based on Israel’s 1967 borders, with some land trades negotiated in a process. However, the framework of Oslo is no longer realistic due to the significant expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which threatens the chances of creating a contiguous Palestinian state in the region.
Moreover, there is the question of who would govern a future Palestinian state. The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, is distrusted by many Palestinians who view it as weak or corrupt. Netanyahu has shown no intention of backing down, and his government has rejected the calls for a Palestinian state. Without a partner in the Israeli government, recognition of a Palestinian state will fall flat, and could even entrench Netanyahu further.
The growing international pressure on Israel may disadvantage the country, however strongly it protests. As more countries recognize a Palestinian state, it may become increasingly difficult for Israel to maintain its current stance. The outcome of this situation remains uncertain, but one thing is clear – the path to a viable Palestinian state remains far off, despite the growing international clamor.