Civil Rights, Not Statehood, Should Be Palestinian Focus
Sadia Ahsanuddin and Linah Alsaafin write that despite Palestine's achieving non-member observer status at the UN General Assembly, the quest for statehood is over and Palestinians should shift their attention to obtaining civil rights within Israel.
On Nov. 29, 2012, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to upgrade the status of the Palestinian Authority (PA) to a non-member observer state — indicating recognition for a Palestinian state based on the 1967 boundaries.
In the days preceding the vote, Israel lost the support of European allies, including France and 15 other members of the European Union. Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas addressed the General Assembly afterward by saying, “Yes, now we have a state.” His sentiment, though, was premature.
The geopolitical reality on the ground today is that a sovereign, independent Palestine consisting of the West Bank and Gaza is no longer possible. The two-state solution, according to many specialists, is now impossible to attain.
Instead, Israel maintains de facto control over the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and its influence is growing.
