Lecturer Dr. Fehmi Ağca from the Political Science and International Relations (English) Department, reminding that as of May 2024, the State of Palestine, officially recognized by 145 countries, has held 'non-member observer state' status in the UN since 2012, emphasized that if Palestine becomes a UN member, it could become a party to international conventions and, in this context, could assert its rights against other states, particularly Israel.
Lecturer Dr. Fehmi Ağca from the Department of Political Science and International Relations (English) at Üsküdar Üniversitesi's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences explained the historical background of the process of Palestine's recognition as a state and the significant turning points in this process.
The UN called on Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories, but Israel does not comply with this decision
Lecturer Dr. Fehmi Ağca reminded that on November 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 181, which foresaw and recommended the partition of Palestine into an Arab state, a Jewish state, and the City of Jerusalem. He stated, “According to this plan, the establishment of the State of Israel was declared on May 14, 1948. In the Arab-Israeli War that immediately followed, Israel occupied a large part of Palestinian territories. In 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was established as the representative of the Palestinians, thus providing Palestinians with an organized political structure. In 1967, with Security Council Resolution 242, the UN called on Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories; however, Israel has not accepted this decision to this day.”
What happened to Palestine's application for full UN membership?
Lecturer Dr. Fehmi Ağca also noted that the “Green Line,” accepted as Palestine's legitimate territory by the UN Security Council after the 1967 and 1973 wars, encompasses East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. He stated, “The Palestine Liberation Organization declared the Green Line as the Palestinian state with its 1988 declaration of independence. Following the Oslo Accords signed in 1993, the Palestinian National Authority was established to govern the West Bank and Gaza Strip areas. Article 1 of the Oslo Declaration of Principles accepted Israel's recognition that Palestinians could establish their own governance in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. In 2012, Palestine's application for full UN membership was not accepted by the UN Security Council due to a US veto. Palestine's new application for full UN membership could not be brought before the UN General Assembly in April 2024 due to a US veto.”
145 countries officially recognized it
Lecturer Dr. Fehmi Ağca said, “As of May 2024, the State of Palestine, officially recognized by 145 countries, has held ‘non-member observer state’ status in the UN since 2012.” He added, “The State of Palestine is a member of many international organizations such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League, and the International Criminal Court. The first European Union member state to recognize Palestine as a state was Sweden in 2014. Central and Eastern European countries (Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Czechia, and Slovakia) had recognized Palestine earlier. Most recently, in May 2024, Spain, Norway, and Ireland recognized the State of Palestine.”
Malta and Slovenia also announced they could recognize Palestine
Lecturer Dr. Fehmi Ağca said, “Israel, with the genocide it has committed, has caused great disappointment in many European states. Israel's victim narrative has begun to lose credibility even in the West. Malta and Slovenia also announced that they could recognize Palestine.”
Emphasizing that a state's membership in the UN means the acceptance of its sovereignty in the eyes of other states internationally, Lecturer Dr. Fehmi Ağca said, “Even if Palestine is not a full member of the UN, it is represented in many subsidiary bodies and the General Assembly with the status of an observer state, accepts the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, to which only states can be parties, and can be seen as a state with external sovereignty due to its representation in many international organizations.”
The importance of Palestine's UN membership…
Lecturer Dr. Fehmi Ağca, also stating that Palestine's UN membership could bring rights such as voting in the UN General Assembly and taking part in UN bodies, continued as follows:
“Palestine will be able to become a party to international conventions and, in this context, assert its rights against other states, especially Israel. Therefore, UN membership could enable the recognition of its rights and responsibilities within the framework of international law and allow these rights to be voiced on international platforms. Most importantly, without needing another state's application, it could directly bring issues such as Israel's genocide crimes, occupied territories in the West Bank, and the blockade of Gaza to the International Court of Justice, present all evidence of crimes in Gaza to the Court, and participate in hearings. In this context, Palestine's UN membership could strengthen its position in terms of international law.”
Palestine's acceptance as a normal state is possible only with the end of Israeli occupation…
Lecturer Dr. Fehmi Ağca explained that Palestine's acceptance as a normal state and its establishment as a sovereign authority in Palestinian territories would only be possible with the end of the Israeli occupation. He stated, “Even if all nations officially recognize the State of Palestine, it is considered that a true Palestinian state cannot emerge as long as the Israeli occupation, protected by the US, continues. When evaluated in terms of economic, political, and military independence, the State of Palestine appears to be far from these qualities. Indeed, Palestine is not a state that can control its own borders, exclusively exercise criminal jurisdiction, solely ensure internal security, or be economically self-sufficient. For this reason, recent developments regarding Palestine's recognition may provide European leaders with a defense, saying, 'We have done what we could for now.' Therefore, in the face of Israel's policies of genocide and other violence and oppression, Palestine may continue to remain diplomatically ineffective.”
The US veto…
Lecturer Dr. Fehmi Ağca stated, “The recognition of Palestine as a state is not considered possible due to the US veto.” He further noted:
“Because Israel has a direct influence on the US's domestic and foreign policy. The Zionist policy Israel has pursued since its arrival in the region is not aimed at a two-state solution, but rather at completely removing the Palestinian people from the region over time. It explicitly declares this policy from time to time. For example, it proposes moving the people of Gaza to the Sinai Peninsula and having them live there. The recognition of Palestine as a state will not deter Israel from its Zionist goals; perhaps it could even lead to a more forceful implementation of its policies of violence against Palestinians.”
The Gaza war eliminated the possibility of reducing military tensions between Israel and Palestine
Lecturer Dr. Fehmi Ağca stated that the Gaza War has largely eliminated the possibility of reducing military tensions between Israel and Palestine. He added, “It can even be said that regional countries have implicitly approved of Gaza's destruction and its complete occupation and control by Israel. It is assessed that the recognition of Palestine as a state will not significantly affect the existing regional alliances and balance of power in the Middle East. Iran, again, will try to maintain its influence in the region in cooperation with its affiliated Hezbollah elements in Lebanon and the Syrian regime, and to ensure Iran's security based on the principle of forward defense.”
The US is expected to directly side with Israel in a war with it
Lecturer Dr. Fehmi Ağca also expressed the view that Egypt, being the closest and most important military, political, and economic power in the region, cannot act independently of the influence of the US and the West without achieving true democracy. He concluded by saying, “Therefore, even if Palestine becomes a full UN member, it is uncertain whether Egypt and Saudi Arabia would genuinely support the State of Palestine with an alliance mindset. Consequently, these countries would not enter an alliance with Palestine without risking armed conflict with Israel. This is because the US is expected to directly side with Israel in a war with it. This is the fundamental factor preventing both Arab countries neighboring Palestine and regional powers like Turkey and Iran from directly intervening in the Israel-Palestine conflict.”