Recognition of Palestine: An excuse to circumvent sanctions on Israel?

BarcelonaThis Sunday The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Portugal have recognized the Palestinian state., and on Monday states such as France, Malta, Luxembourg and Andorra joined, on the eve of the UN General Assembly. The gesture aims to express rejection of Israel's war on Gaza and territorial expansion in the West Bank, and is part of a political pressure effort that the European Union has intensified in recent weeks, while the atrocities committed by Israel in Gaza were becoming evident under the UN's finding that they constitute genocideBut what are the implications of this recognition? Does it in any way affect the campaign on the Gaza Strip, or is it a way to avoid taking tougher measures?

"The recognition of Palestine is more symbolic than concrete and material," Moussa Bourekba, a CIDOB researcher specializing in the Middle East, tells ARA. Although he recognizes the historical significance of the decision, he points out a fundamental problem: "The existence of the Palestinian state is made impossible by Israel." The truth is that the borders that formally delimit the Palestinian state (those that remained in 1967 after the Six-Day War) are not, in practice, the territory controlled by the Palestinian Authority. Many areas are occupied by Israel, which controls the entry and exit of people and goods. Therefore, the researcher rules out the possibility of this translating into tangible changes on the ground.

However, the gesture has some advantages. On the one hand, "it contributes to isolating Israel." And, on the other hand, it corrects a historical wrong: "It honors the promise of Western states that have been promising a two-state solution [which considers that both Israel and Palestine should be two sovereign states] since 1993 but only recognized Israel," he says, evoking the Oslo Accords, which ended it.

Recognition allows for treaties with the Palestinian Authority and elevates the diplomatic treatment of the states that have recognized it, but it does not grant Palestine full membership in the UN. This would require passing a vote in the Security Council. Four of the five permanent members with veto power have already recognized Palestine (the United Kingdom, China, Russia, and France, which announced it would formalize its position tonight), but the United States' rejection halts any prospect of progress.

A way to avoid sanctions?

The question is whether these recognitions serve to avoid harsher measures against Israel. After months of social pressure, and international organizations denouncing the hunger in Gaza and determining that a genocide is taking place, concrete actions to punish Tel Aviv have been minimal, low-cost, and aimed at avoiding diplomatic conflicts. Of the group of countries that have declared their support for the recognition in recent days, only Canada has officially suspended the granting of new arms export licenses to Tel Aviv, although recent data suggests that exports of military components from previous agreements continue to be made.

"The great paradox of the recognition is that it comes at a time when Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and its government is announcing its intention to continue expanding settlements in the West Bank," Bourekba points out. "Given the urgency of stopping the massacre, this is the only measure they are taking, beyond that." And he concludes: "It's these countries' way of exerting pressure on Israel without having to apply real measures against a state that violates international law, a clear contrast to the international community's response to Russia." This would allow them to calm the waters in their own public opinion: "They can convey the impression that they are doing something to punish Israel and that they have done their homework," the expert denounces.

Furthermore, he considers it an "incoherent" gesture if it is not accompanied by "practical sanctions to stop the genocide." "If we continue selling arms and doing business with a country that does everything possible to prevent the existence of a Palestinian state, we are engaging in a diplomacy that makes no sense," he concludes.

What can be done?

So, what measures could states implement to sanction Israel? The first step would be an embargo on arms sales. Secondly, economic sanctions could be used, as the European Union as a whole is proposing to do and as the Spanish government has done. Finally, it is essential to respect the international procedures underway, such as the complaint filed by the International Criminal Court and the arrest warrants issued against Netanyahu, he explains.

Researcher Chris Osieck, associated with Forensic Architecture and Bellingcat on Palestine and Israel, offers a similar reflection to Al-Jazeera: "As long as [recognition of Palestine] is not accompanied by concrete actions, such as sanctions, an arms embargo on the area, or forces from the international community to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, I remain pessimistic."