The Palestinian statehood proposition took a leap forward as many Westminster countries endorsed it in de jure terms. The nod from Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal has come on the heels of France taking a stance for a two-state solution. This development is a lethal blow to the monopoly of the United States, and a great setback for Israel that had counted on these Western allies since its inception. The coordinated announcement from the G7 countries incidentally has come as the United Nations General Assembly is in session, and an overwhelming majority of the world community has signed in to act against the transgression of the Jewish state, and usher in a regime of peace by backing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The upcoming month of October also marks two years of bloodshed and mayhem at the hands of Israel in Gaza in retaliation to Hamas’ misadventure. More than 65,000 Gazans have been martyred and thousands more maimed in barbaric onslaughts since then. And a million Gazans have been shunted out of the besieged enclave to the southern pastures. With the ICJ terming it a genocide, the world conscience was up for a test, and the collective diplomatic move from Western civilisation to recognise the statehood of Palestine is a watershed development. The need of the hour is to build on the momentum, and ensure that a two-state solution is realised without any ado.
As three-quarters of UN member states – 145 of 193 – now recognise Palestine, the world body must replicate the resolution of ‘Uniting for Peace-1950’ and table one named as ‘Uniting for Palestine’. That is the way to ensure credibility of Western democracies as well as perpetual peace in the Mideast and beyond. Washington and Tel Aviv must see it as an opportunity in disaster as these European and Commonwealth states are campaigning for peace, and have their hearts in the statehood of Israel too. Trading land for peace is indispensable, and Israel cannot continue to dig in its heels for an indefinite period.
