Is recognising Palestine a way to ‘save face’ for Western leaders?

In response to Israel’s ongoing conflict with Gaza and its expansion of territory in the occupied West Bank, Canada, the UK, and Australia have all recognized Palestinian statehood.

In the days following the announcements on Sunday, more states, including France and Portugal, are anticipated to recognize Palestine.

In recent days, Israel has increased its defense.

The Israeli prime minister’s representative, Shosh Bedrosian, said the move was “absurd and simply a reward for terrorism” shortly before the announcement.

Netanyahu promised his supporters that there would not be a Palestinian state at an event held in occupied East Jerusalem on September 15.

Analysts tell Al Jazeera that this action by the three states, which included Canada, the UK, and Australia, is a small, symbolic step in the ongoing indignity, murder, and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, albeit one with some weight.

According to Palestinian political scientist Rida Abu Rass, “Recognition matters in this case because close US allies have so far reserved it until the day after a negotiated agreement.”

Because these nations splintered, it matters. Israel’s isolation, in my opinion, is furthered by its impact.

At least 55 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza on Sunday, the same day that recognition was made. In Gaza City, where the Israeli army has launched yet another brutal campaign of violence, at least 37 of them were killed.

Performative recognition

Analysts are skeptical that acknowledging Palestinians’ current physical conditions, which are being exacerbated by Israeli aggression, might improve.

Since October 2023, Israel has carried out at least 65, 283 attacks, wounding 166, and injuring 570, according to experts who believe that the figure is much higher. 1, 139 people died in the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and 200 or so people were taken prisoner.

More than 1, 000 people have been killed in the occupied West Bank as a result of Israeli military and violent settler attacks, and the Israeli government is threatening to annex the entire area.

According to analysts, the Israeli-Israeli conflict, which Israeli experts and international experts and human rights organizations refer to as a genocide, is not anticipated to end with Sunday’s actions.

I remain pessimistic as long as it includes concrete steps, such as imposing sanctions, an arms embargo, and the establishment of a no-fly zone in occupied Palestine with the support of international organizations, said Chris Osieck, a freelance researcher who has contributed to investigations from Forensic Architecture and Bellingcat on Palestine and Israel.

The Doha Institute for Graduate Studies professor Mohamad Elmasry explained to Al Jazeera that the move is primarily performative.

They are increasingly being pressured by both the international community and their local populations to do something, he said.

“This is, in my opinion, their way of acting,” they say, “or saying that they did something without actually taking action.”

Recognizing does, however, allow the three countries to now name full ambassadors and sign agreements with the Palestinian government.

Husam Zomlot will be recognized as the UK’s ambassador to the Palestinians, according to the UK.

The “long-overdue recognition” puts an end to Britain’s “denial of the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination, freedom, and independence in our homeland,” according to Zomlot in a statement.

He said, “It represents a reversible step toward justice, peace, and the correction of historical wrongs, including Britain’s colonial legacy, the Balfour Declaration, and its contribution to the Palestinian people’s dispossession.”

joining global organizations

The State of Palestine is already recognized by a large portion of the world.

Only the United States, a small number of European and Baltic states, South Korea, Japan, and a few other nations recognize Palestine as a result of the recent additions.

However, the country is still not a full member of the UN, despite the majority of the world agreeing with the statehood of the Palestinians.

Recognizing does not grant Palestine any new UN privileges or prevent it from joining new intergovernmental organizations without US support, according to Abu Rass.

He explained that “the state is currently a “non-member observer state.” Given the US veto power, it’s unlikely, in the least, that to become a full member would require the recommendation of the UN Security Council [followed by UN General Assembly vote].

It might be the first step, though.

Israel’s conflict with Gaza is now under more international pressure, particularly from Europe. The popularity of boycott campaigns could lead to Israel being expelled from Eurovision and competing in international sports competitions.

Additionally, the European Union has recently discussed imposing sanctions on some Israeli leaders and increasing tariffs on some Israeli goods.

Recognizing does not directly affect Israel’s actions in Gaza, but it may indicate that these nations are willing to take real measures, such as two-way arms embargos, which would mean neither buying Israeli weapons from Israeli manufacturers nor selling them to Israel, Abu Rass said.

Leaders are “saving face.”

Despite discussing Palestinian recognition for months, some Western states are taking the step as retaliation for Israel’s aggression against Gaza and the occupied West Bank, according to analysts. Some states express conditional support for statehood, which amplifies this.

They claim that these leaders are responding to numerous domestic pressures, including those imposed by pro-Israel organizations with connections to established parties, while a growing chorus of constituents calls for state sanctions and punishment to stop genocide.

According to Abu Rass, “This is occurring right now as a result of growing domestic pressures on these center-left governments.”

Nothing has changed, in essence, but what we’re seeing is a gradual, cumulative response to a growing liberal dissatisfaction, and these actions should be taken as a low-cost solution to satisfy constituents’ demands.

They are “saving face,” Abu Rass continued.

Keir Starmer, the UK’s prime minister, said in July that unless Israel “substantially steps” were taken to end its occupation of Gaza, he would not recognize Palestine.

Starmer reiterated on Sunday that recognition is intended as a response to the current political conditions in Israel and Palestine.

According to Starmer, “This is intended to advance that cause.” The idea of a two-state solution is fading and feels more distant now than it has for many years, according to the author.

As the Palestinian Authority moves closer to fulfilling its reform commitments, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “Further steps, including the establishment of diplomatic relations and the opening of embassies, will be taken into account as it makes further progress.

A burden that is unique

The British government endorsed a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine one hundred and eight years ago by signing the Balfour Declaration.

Some people view recognition of the state as a sign of the United Kingdom’s involvement in the displacement and dispossession of Palestinians because the United Kingdom has historically aided the state of Israel in this regard.

In a speech at the UN in July, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that “Britain bears a special burden of responsibility to support the two-state solution.”

Analysts were unsure that the past would deteriorate despite the historical significance.

Little would change for Palestinians unless the Israeli occupation was ended, according to Abu Rass, even if every nation in the world recognized Palestine.

Source: Aljazeera