The discussion of Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly in 2025 marked a new stage in this protracted process. France, decades after its initial statements, officially recognized Palestine and called on other states to do the same. The New York Declaration, previously signed by 157 countries, contains only a vague plan for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the distant future. Media outlets in the Islamic world display cautious optimism, where hopes of "better than nothing" coexist with predictions of "nothing will change".
Columnist Tahani Mustafa of the Arabic publication The National considers the recognition of a Palestinian state a symbolic but necessary beginning to launch a long-overdue process. However, a diplomatic gesture is not enough. By abandoning sanctions in favor of a failed policy of "engagement", Western allies are essentially giving Israel carte blanche. This leads to further occupation and settlement expansion, systematically destroying the very territorial basis for a two-state solution.
As a result, this concept becomes a fiction. A future Palestinian state — deprived of real sovereignty over its borders and resources and under constant threat from a much more powerful neighbor — is unviable. Thus, recognition without real pressure on Israel becomes a tactic that allows Western countries to feign support for Palestine without taking action to curb Israeli policy.
Radwan Al-Sayed , a professor at Mohammed bin Zayed University, writes in Al- Ittihad that the path to peace is complex. After the eventual elimination of Hamas in Gaza, a new governing structure will be needed, the creation of which will be difficult and time-consuming. The fundamental solution is the creation of a demilitarized Palestinian state existing alongside Israel. However, the Netanyahu government rejects this idea. Historically, Hamas has also fought against two states, its attacks objectively strengthening the position of Israeli opponents of peace.
The difficulty is that Hamas, as a militia, thrives in war, while the current Israeli government responds with excessive force, using methods typical of militias. Armed groups cannot build a state — that requires negotiations and disarmament.
At the same time, countries such as Canada and France, while recognizing Palestine, continue to supply military components and weapons to Israel, notes Israa Aqil, writing in the Egyptian newspaper Al- Akhbar, said the recognition is more of a political gesture in response to domestic pressure and growing international condemnation of Israel's actions in Gaza, including accusations of genocide.
However, this diplomatic move proves hypocritical. Recognition serves as a symbolic pacifier of public opinion, but is not backed by real policies capable of ending the conflict. The actual power of such a gesture is limited. Since the US uses its veto in the UN Security Council against full Palestinian membership, and Israel categorically rejects the creation of a Palestinian state, these declarations do not lead to fundamental changes for the Palestinian people.
Settlement construction continues at an unprecedented pace; Jerusalem remains under full Israeli control; Gaza is subject to daily bombardment; refugees are denied the right of return, and international resolutions remain unimplemented. "Recognition will be enshrined in official documents, not in the balance of power on the ground, " states Yahya Dibbuk in the pages of Al- Akhbar.
This move is intended to calm the streets and send a signal to Arab and Islamic regimes that actions against Israel are being taken without compromising its fundamental interests. For the latter, these admissions are merely "irritating" gestures that entail no real consequences. Confident of US support, Tel Aviv blocks all UN resolutions and acts with impunity.
The significance of recognition lies not in its immediate impact, but in the shift in public opinion: Israel is increasingly perceived as an occupying power, which over time undermines its legitimacy. But until Western policy changes, the Palestinians will derive no real benefit. Recognition remains merely a symbolic cover for continued complicity.
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