I'm disappointed in the decision to recognize a Palestinian state for many reasons, including the reward for terrorism, but also just on a basic practicality level. In the most basic international studies class, you learn there are 5 characteristics of a state:
1. Legally defined borders
2. Legally defined population
3. Legally defined government
4. Sovereignty
5. International Recognition
On a purely practical level, Palestine doesn't have any of these, and giving it the last one (typically awarded last for a reason), does not provide the prerequisites.
Let's look at that:
1. Borders. To have a state you must have a defined territory with a stop and end points. I'd attach a map, but frankly, if you don't know that the West Bank areas B&C look like Swiss cheese on a map, I don't think you have the knowledge to participate in this discussion. Also, is Gaza included? What about the Golan Heights? East Jerusalem, which is supposed to be split?
Do you see how there really isn't a defined territory that exists to be legally defined?
2. Population. This is the box that Palestine comes closest to checking, thanks to the UN cerca 1948. There is technically a legal definition of a "Palestinian"; it just so happens to include millions of people who don't live in even the broadest definition of Palestine, and who in fact have citizenship elsewhere and have for generations.
If you stretch, this box is checked. If you don't use logic pretzels, this box is not checked.
3. Government. Are you aware the Palestinian Authority (PA) has a 92% disapproval rating? If the right to govern comes from the consent of the governed, the PA doesn't have that. A large part of this comes from corruption, because the PA is incredibly corrupt. Also, physically incapable of governing.
Operating Schools? No, the UN does that.
Building and maintaining infrastructure? No, the UN handles the roadwork.
Policing and running prisons? No, Israel does that.
Collecting taxes? No, Israel does that. You may know that since the war started, they've refused to transfer the money. It's been two years. You'd think the PA would do it themselves then, but they physically can't.
If the UN and International community pulled out tomorrow, Palestine would be left with nothing, because the PA literally can't govern.
4. Sovereignty. To be a state, a governing body must have a monopoly of force. On the most basic level, the PA fails. You may know this, but the PA doesn't govern in Gaza. The last time they tried, their officials were thrown off roofs. Similarly, the PA doesn't really have authority over most of the cities in the West Bank, not even their capital of Ramallah. Instead, various terrorist groups, including Hamas and its various offshoots, run enclaves, and the PA, in a stunning display of incompetence, lets Israel come in periodically to wage war against those groups. Because the PA can't.
In short, the Palestinian Authority is anything but.
5. International Recognition. Basically, other countries acknowledge that there is a governing body and do diplomacy exclusively with that body as representative of that state. Even Qatar, who has recognized Palestine as a state for decades, doesn't really treat with the PA, especially not exclusively. There's a reason Hamas has its political headquarters in Doha. Even the countries that are recognizing Palestine now have, in the past year, and still currently treat with different groups that claim governance over Palestine.
Countries may claim to recognize Palestine, but they don't act like it.
If everyone pulled out tomorrow, with recognition, Palestine would become a failed state. I assure you, based on data, being a failed state is worse than being an autonomous territory. Way worse. It's better to live in Taiwan than to live in Sudan. By a lot.
Again: if a state is missing any of the five, they are not a state. Palestine has 0/5. Pretending to give it 1/5 doesn't give it the other four; the reality is the same: Palestine is not a state. And for the sake of its people, the international community needs to stop engaging in this collective delusion.
