Does international recognition mean Palestine is going to be a state?

A question of designation from Western countries – led by France, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada – means that 157 countries present recognise a Palestinian state.

The latest countries to recognise Palestine see beardown allies of Israel who person tried to framework the designation arsenic an effort to support live the thought of a two-state solution, which envisions a Palestinian authorities alongside Israel.

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“In the look of the increasing fearfulness successful the Middle East, we are acting to support live the anticipation of bid and a two-state solution,” Keir Starmer, the UK premier minister, said successful a statement. “That means a harmless and unafraid Israel alongside a viable Palestinian state. At the moment, we person neither.”

While diplomatically the designation of Palestine is simply a large measurement forward, connected a applicable level, it does small to bring the anticipation of statehood immoderate closer.

Israel has lone accrued colony operation successful the occupied West Bank passim its warfare connected Gaza and responded to the designation of Palestine astatine the United Nations General Assembly this week by doubling down connected its committedness to ne'er let a Palestinian state.

So does designation bring Palestine immoderate person to statehood, and what does a territory request to beryllium considered a state? Let’s instrumentality a person look.

What does it instrumentality to beryllium a state?

There is nary azygous explanation of a state, but planetary instrumentality wide cites the Montevideo Convention of 1933. The UN has antecedently referenced the Montevideo Convention erstwhile discussing Palestinian statehood.

The normal does not necessitate a authorities to beryllium recognised by others. Instead, it specifies that a territory indispensable person defined borders, a government, the capableness to participate into relations with different states and a imperishable population.

So could Palestine beryllium a state?

While galore of the states that recognise Palestine are vague astir its nonstop borders, astir envisage lines adjacent to those earlier Israel’s 1967 war, including Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Israel has occupied Palestinian territory since 1967 contempt that being amerciable nether planetary law.

The Oslo Accords betwixt Israel and the Palestinians successful the 1990s were expected to commencement the process starring to the enactment of a Palestinian authorities and created the Palestinian Authority (PA).

The PA engages successful overseas relations, maintaining diplomatic ties with galore countries and operating assorted diplomatic missions, including embassies, typical offices and delegations

And successful presumption of its imperishable population, millions of Palestinians unrecorded successful the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem and person done truthful for generations contempt decades of Israeli policies.

However, the grade to which Israel allows the PA to run arsenic an autarkic authorities is disputed. While the PA exercises immoderate governmental functions, planetary bodies person questioned its afloat capableness to govern.

A presumption of the West Bank separation obstruction wherever it separates Bethlehem from Jerusalem [File: Wisam Hashlamoun/Anadolu]

For example, the UN Secretariat successful 2011 and the International Criminal Court successful 2020 noted that contempt gathering each the different conditions for statehood acceptable retired successful the Montevideo Convention, Israel’s power implicit the PA’s borders, question wrong the territory – wherever Israel maintains a dense information beingness – resources and information operations undermine the PA’s quality to govern.

So, wherefore isn’t Palestine a state?

Because planetary instrumentality tin spell lone truthful far.

Since establishing Kfar Etzion, its archetypal colony successful the West Bank aft the 1967 war, Israel has created much than 160 settlements crossed the Palestinian territory and occupied East Jerusalem, lodging astir 700,000 Israelis. These settlements are amerciable nether planetary law.

During its warfare connected Gaza, colony operation has surged. Israel’s latest program to physique astir 3,400 caller homes would bisect the West Bank portion linking thousands of existing settlements by roads for Israeli usage only, making immoderate aboriginal Palestinian authorities astir impossible.

In addition, Israel has constructed concern developments, specified arsenic the Barkan Industrial Park, successful occupied territory.

Israeli and planetary firms are encouraged to find themselves successful the concern parks, receiving authorities subsidies, debased rents, favourable taxation rates and entree to inexpensive Palestinian labour successful instrumentality for supporting the settlements’ economies.

Among them, according to Amnesty International, are planetary companies specified arsenic Airbnb, Expedia and JCB.

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich connected August 14, 2025, holds a representation of an country known arsenic E1, wherever Israel plans to physique 3,400 colony homes, aft a quality league astatine the tract adjacent the colony of Maale Adumim [Menahem Kahana/AFP]

How apt is Israel to springiness up its settlements?

Very unlikely.

Many settlers and their supporters successful the Israeli authorities spot their beingness successful Palestinian territory arsenic ordained by Jewish scriptures.

According to them, successful summation to settling Gaza, they clasp a “divine mandate” to reclaim the West Bank, oregon Judea and Samaria arsenic they notation to it, and adjacent to perchance grow Israel’s frontiers to signifier “Greater Israel”, a territory that includes parts of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt.

Settlers themselves are being progressively assertive successful seizing Palestinian land, facing small pushback from the Israeli state, and their docket is openly supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.

Many settler leaders are successful government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

An equipped settler stands adjacent Israeli soldiers during a play settlers’ circuit successful Hebron successful the Israeli-occupied West Bank connected August 23, 2025 [Mussa Qawasma/Reuters]

But what astir planetary law?

Israel, with the implicit backing of the United States, has shown small respect for planetary instrumentality from the archetypal ejection of 750,000 Palestinians successful 1948 to the present.

In fact, alternatively than recognise a Palestinian authorities arsenic others person done, the Israeli Knesset voted successful July successful defiance of planetary instrumentality and approved a question to annex the West Bank, which constitutes overmuch of one.

On Sunday successful effect to the moves by the UK, France, Australia and different countries, Netanyahu was clear: “It volition not happen. There volition beryllium nary Palestinian authorities westbound of the Jordan [River],” helium pledged.