What Has Delayed Britain's Recognition of the State of Palestine Until Today? Although the United Kingdom has supported the two-state solution for decades since the issuance of the Balfour Declaration in 1917, official recognition of a Palestinian state has been delayed for more than a century due to political complexities, the expansion of Israeli occupation, and the absence of effective negotiations—rendering such recognition more symbolic than practical to this day. اضافة اعلان The recent decision by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to recognize the State of Palestine—unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza—raises an obvious question. But the question is not 'why'? For decades, the two-state solution, which calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, has been the official policy of successive British governments and has received the support of a majority of Members of Parliament more than 11 years ago. The real question now is: why has the decision taken so long? An official statement released on Wednesday, July 30, following an emergency cabinet meeting, confirmed that Britain, frustrated by the ongoing crisis in Gaza and the fading prospects of a negotiated two-state solution, will formally recognize the State of Palestine this coming September. The Balfour Declaration: Britain's Historical Role Britain has long played a pivotal role in the roots of the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict, starting with the Balfour Declaration in 1917. In a letter to British Jewish banker Lord Rothschild—known for his support of the Zionist movement—then-Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour pledged Britain's support for the establishment of 'a national home for the Jewish people' in Palestine. While many Palestinians—rightfully—view that declaration as the foundational cause of their suffering, the Balfour Declaration was a vague diplomatic maneuver. It did not explicitly call for a Jewish state, especially in a territory that was still part of the Ottoman Empire at the time. However, following the British victory over the Ottoman forces in World War I, that land came under British control. The declaration also stated that 'nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine'—a strange way to refer to the Arab population, who made up the overwhelming majority. The declaration did not clarify how such rights would be protected. More than a century later, that unresolved condition remains a significant part of the Balfour Declaration's unfulfilled promise. From 1948 Onward: A Shifting Reality In May 1948, David Ben-Gurion, Israel's first Prime Minister, declared the establishment of an independent Jewish state. This came after Britain abruptly relinquished control over Palestine—territory it had administered under the League of Nations mandate since 1920—and after Israeli forces repelled the armies of five neighboring Arab countries. Israel emerged from this conflict in control of 78% of what was once known as Mandatory Palestine under British administration. Thus, the Balfour Declaration, alongside the UN Partition Plan, laid the groundwork for a decades-long conflict, the consequences of which still deeply scar the Middle East. Why Recognition Never Came For more than half a century, Western governments—including Britain—have consistently expressed support for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. However, the 1967 war (known as the Six-Day War) marked a pivotal turning point. UN Security Council Resolution 242 called on Israel to withdraw from the territories it occupied in exchange for Arab recognition. Neither withdrawal nor recognition ever materialized. At the time, Palestinians still hoped to achieve sovereignty over all of historic Palestine, including areas that had already become part of Israel since 1948—a process that had included the displacement of more than 700,000 Palestinians in what became known as the Nakba. Rather than withdrawing, Israel expanded its presence through massive settlement construction. Today, more than 620,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Some of the most extreme members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government have even expressed interest in re-establishing Israeli settlements inside Gaza. The 1988 Shift and Growing Global Recognition In 1988, the Palestinian leadership made a historic policy shift by accepting a two-state solution and abandoning the demand for all of historic Palestine. Under Yasser Arafat, the PLO declared its readiness to accept a state within the 1967 borders. Shortly afterward, 78 countries recognized the new Palestinian state. That number has since grown to 147. In July, more than a decade after Sweden became the first EU country to recognize Palestine, and after similar moves by Ireland, Spain, and Norway last year, French President Emmanuel Macron became the first G7 leader to publicly pledge to push for recognition of Palestine at the UN General Assembly this coming September. Is Recognition Still Just Symbolic? As critics rightly point out, recognizing a Palestinian state consisting of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem remains largely theoretical in nature. In the absence of a viable peace process, there is no functioning state to recognize. While the Palestinian Authority gained non-member observer status at the United Nations in 2012 (similar to the Vatican), it does not have voting rights. The United States has repeatedly used its veto power to block full Palestinian membership. Even as recently as April, the United Kingdom abstained from voting on a Security Council resolution that called for Palestine to be admitted as a full UN member. Why Now? France's recent move—and Starmer's announcement, which followed talks with Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz—should not be seen as merely symbolic. They reflect growing international outrage at the massacres, starvation, and destruction caused by Israel's military campaign in Gaza, in response to Hamas' deadly attacks on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 Israelis and resulted in the kidnapping of 251 others. Reports suggest Macron was especially affected by testimonies of Palestinian survivors he met during a visit to Egypt in April. France has now joined Saudi Arabia in co-hosting a UN summit in New York aimed at reviving the two-state solution—sending a strong political message to Israel's leadership. It is a reminder that Saudi Arabia, since 2002, has offered full recognition of Israel in return for a withdrawal to pre-1967 borders, just as Egypt and Jordan did before. Will Britain's Belated Recognition Make a Difference? It may not immediately change the facts on the ground. But Britain's recognition would certainly strengthen the hand of those seeking to shift political dynamics in Washington, and it would represent an acknowledgment of the historic role and responsibility the UK has played in the region. At the very least, one can hope that this long-overdue step will contribute to ending a conflict that has lasted far too long—and of which the tragedy unfolding in Gaza may be its most devastating chapter yet.
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