Good morning,
The recognition of a state is based on four criteria set out in the 1933 Montevideo Convention: a permanent population, a defined territory, the capacity to enter into relations with other states and a functioning government.
Yet, in practice, recognition is rarely a purely legal matter. A mix of national interests, geopolitics, moral judgments, and political momentum shapes the way — and whether — new states are born.
By these standards, Palestine partially meets the test for statehood. It does have a permanent population (which the war also puts at risk) and clear evidence of international representation. But it lacks a clearly defined or fully controlled territory. The Israeli military and Jewish settlers dominate most of the West Bank, while Gaza has been left shattered after two years of war.
Effective governance has also been a great challenge for Palestine. Since the violent 2007 split, Palestinians have lived under two rival governments — Hamas in Gaza and the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas, in the West Bank.
Over the weekend, the UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal backed Palestinian statehood. Abbas said recognition could help pave the way for a Palestinian state to live “side by side with the state of Israel in security, peace, and good neighbourliness.”
But the (often conditional) recognition of Palestine raises questions that cannot be ignored. Saying “yes” to Palestinian statehood as a legal and moral right is only the beginning — and it comes late.
Recognition alone does not resolve the divisions within Palestinian governance, geographical separation or the conflict itself. And so it is unlikely to change the course of the war.
- Elena Sánchez Nicolás, editor-in-chief
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