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The Perils of Declaring a Palestinian State

(Washington Times) Ilan Berman - France, Britain, and Canada intend to imminently recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly next month. More and more countries are embracing the idea of a Palestinian state and doing so without requiring the accountability and transparency envisioned by the international community some three decades ago, when the Oslo Accords process began. That promises to be a massive problem because under current conditions, a Palestinian state would end up being a political and strategic threat to the region. In its most recent poll, the Ramallah-based Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that 81% wanted PA President Mahmoud Abbas to resign, while 43% supported Hamas, despite the widespread misery inflicted by the Islamist group on Gaza's population. That means a future Palestinian government could very well turn out to be radical and Islamist. Under customary international law, states have an obligation to prevent hostilities that originate inside their borders from harming neighboring nations. That's a tall order for a future Palestinian government because the PA has for years rewarded terrorism against Israel, and Hamas remains steadfastly committed to the destruction of the Jewish state. International law would allow the aggrieved country to retaliate with economic, political or even military measures, as Israel undoubtedly would. If these Western leaders were serious about helping the Palestinians, they would recognize that the creation of a Palestinian state now would be akin to a disaster foretold. The writer is senior vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council.
2025-08-21 00:00:00
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