https://www.humantruth.info/palestine_statehood.html
By Vexen Crabtree 2026
The Palestinian search for statehood has been at a stalemate since the UN declaration of 1947 that led to the creation of Israel, which now covers 86% of Palestine's original land1. Palestine was part of the Ottoman Empire for centuries. After that broke up, it was run by the British from 1920, as British Mandated Palestine2, but it was colonial policy not to allow Palestinian government apparatus to develop3. When in 1947 the United Nations proposed 56% of Palestine become a new Jewish State, war erupted, and afterwards, the remnants of Palestine was divided between Jordan (West Bank) and Egypt (Gaza) with no voices for Palestinians.
In 1998, the Palestinian Liberation Organisation emerged, declaring Statehood for Palestine, which was accepted by 90 countries within 2 years. As Palestinian political identity stabilized, Israel in 1992 waged a war against PLO infrastructure in Lebanon, slowing progress towards a coherent Palestine. A Palestinian State is now accepted by over 150 countries, but, since 1988 the USA has repeatedly used its Security Council veto to block Palestine's registration as a state at the UN because it is strategically interested in maintaining a strong military alliance with Israel.
#Israel #Judaism #Palestine #UK #UN
After the fall of Ottoman empire, which had ruled the area for four centuries, in 1920 the League of Nations gave a portion of the land to the UK, creating the British Mandated Palestine2. The UK had the task of protecting civil and religious rights of the Arab majority, but also, to create there a national home for Jews2. Hence, the UK encouraged Jews to migrate to Palestine. It was accepted by many Jews, but especially "ultrareligious regarded the "return" to Palestine as a strictly religious duty"4.
Britain specifically had a colonial policy against developing governmental apparatus for Palestinians, creating growing mistrust and resentment. The Arab Revolt (1936-1939) opposed British rule and Jewish immigration, with much bloodshed. In 1939, the UK published a document that imposed severe restrictions on further Jewish immigration to Palestine5, appeasing some of the Arab's concerns.
However, this was followed by a Jewish insurgency (1944-1948) against British restrictions. There was no Israel yet - Palestine was the only place for many Jews to flee from European oppression by fascists, and so, the issue was of utmost, life-and-death importance to Jewish communities, who needed a place where they were under self-rule.
The UK flagged the impossibility of a solution to the UN and withdrew, resulting in the 1947 UN resolution that proposed a 2-state solution (i.e., half of Palestine would become a Jewish state).
#egypt #history #israel #jordan #palestine #UN #USA #vatican_city
From 1947, the UN proposed granting half of Palestine as a Jewish State, which would have naturally led to a Palestinian state as the other half. But there were twice as many Arabs as Jews, and yet, the Arabs were to retain just 42.9% of their own land. The division simply seemed unfair6,7. The territorial loss caused the Arab-Israel war.
After the 1947-1948 war, most land was taken by Israel. The West Bank was annexed by Jordan and Gaza by Egypt: there was no remaining 'Palestine'.
In 1988, the Palestinian Liberation Organisation finally declared the State of Palestine8, reflecting the remaining part of Palestine and the closest thing that matched the 'Arab State' of the UN's 2-state solution of 1947. Many countries have recognized this8.
The USA since 1988 has vetoed all attempts to recognize Palestine at the United Nations9. It hasn't merely not recognized Palestine, but it takes active steps to prevent anyone else recognizing it; for example, it refuses to fund any United Nations agency that itself recognizes Palestine or that 'treats it like a state'.
In 1993, the Oslo Accords assigned the Palestinian Authority (PA), and the USA under President Bill Clinton, supported it. But the PA never gained full sovereignty. Israel's forceful and oppressive expansion of 250,000 to 400,000 settlements in Palestinian areas created such resentment that the Arab world did not consider Israel as a trustworthy part of Oslo. Violent resistance by Hamas and others also gave Israel excuses to disregard Oslo. The weakness of the PA led to the West Bank being ruled instead by Fatah, and Gaza by Hamas.
In 2012, trying to push things forwards, the UN recognized Palestine as a 'Non-Member Observer State' (the same as the Vatican), but even this partial step was opposed by the USA, although as a General Assembly motion, it couldn't stop it.