7 Obstacles to Independence of Palestine Besides Israeli Occupation
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1 March 2024 11:39 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The quest for Palestinian independence remains a multifaceted global issue to this day. Despite the country's declaration of independence on November 15, 1988, numerous obstacles have impeded its sovereignty.
The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website reports that Palestine is the sole state that participated in the 1955 Asian-African Conference without possessing sovereign rights over a defined territory. Palestine continues to seek recognition from various countries, but it faces a plethora of challenges.
Summarized from various sources, here are eight obstacles hindering Palestine from attaining its independence.
- Israeli Occupation
The Israeli occupation is the primary obstacle to achieving Palestinian independence, with territorial disputes escalating since the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.
- Weak Political System
The Middle East Institute cites Palestine's weak political system as a key obstacle to gaining independence, with physical and political partitions leaving the country ill-prepared to become an independent state.
Since 2007, the Gaza Strip has been ruled by Hamas, while the West Bank is governed by the Palestinian Authority, with the two political entities competing and criticizing each other instead of working together to achieve mutual reciprocity and political development. Meanwhile, East Jerusalem has been entirely annexed by Israel.
- Lack of Recognition by Other Countries
According to the World Population Review, while 139 countries have officially recognized Palestine as a state on a bilateral basis following the declaration of independence in Algiers, Algeria, on November 15, 1988, at least 55 countries do not recognize Palestine as a state.
The United States of America, France, and the United Kingdom, which are considered the cradle of democracy, have yet to recognize Palestine until their so-called conflict with Israel is peacefully resolved, turning a blind eye to Israel's illegal policies.
- Missing the Momentum
Based on the UIN Jakarta Journal, the British Mandate era was mentioned as the root of Palestine's failure to establish an independent state. When Britain left Palestine in 1948, the Palestinians did not take advantage of the momentum, and the Jews used it to establish their country on Palestinian land.
