The State of Palestine is already here
Many states recognize it, and in this sense, it has the ability to exert power. Israel has felt this firsthand. The fact is that the State of Palestine joined the convention that established the International Criminal Court. Consequently, the International Court recognized not only the existence of the Palestinian state but also that the Gaza Strip, as well as Judea and Samaria, belong to this state.
The question of establishing a Palestinian state has, from Israel's perspective, been taken off the table. We are facing an election, and everyone understands that adopting the idea of a Palestinian state, or even mentioning it, is a sure recipe for failure in the elections. This can be understood against the backdrop of the terrible disaster on October 7 and the difficult war that has not yet ended. It is also possible to understand the fear that the establishment of a Palestinian state will once again expose us to the dangers of a horrific massacre. But the question is whether this depends on us and whether the establishment of such a state is not happening before our eyes while the State of Israel, which has collapsed politically, stands helpless.
In truth, a Palestinian state, albeit a crippled one, already exists in practice. It is worth understanding: a state is an abstract creature, a product of human imagination. A state is not a tangible body that one can hold. It is a product of the imagination of the people who compose it, and of foreigners who observe it. Someone once said that if all the inhabitants of America suddenly stopped believing that it exists, it would cease to exist. Humans are gifted with a special ability to create imagined, abstract bodies and endow them with power and strength. Such are all existing corporations, including those that control the economy. They exist in imagination and thought, and they are registered in documents. And people endow them with assets, property, and power. Such is the state as well.
Different states have power, inhabitants, and territory that they control. However, humans can also create states that have only some of these properties, imagine their existence, and endow them with power. In this sense, the State of Palestine already exists, albeit, as mentioned, as a crippled state. Many states recognize it, and in this sense, it has the ability to exert power. Israel has felt this firsthand. The fact is that the State of Palestine joined the convention that established the International Criminal Court. Consequently, the International Court recognized not only the existence of the Palestinian state but also that the Gaza Strip (and presumably Judea and Samaria) belong to this state. This is, of course, a complete fiction, since the Palestinian Authority does not control Gaza. However, as mentioned, we are dealing with images, and in this respect, the court has no difficulty in attributing Gaza to the State of Palestine. The result is that military operations in the Gaza Strip fall under the court's jurisdiction. On this basis, arrest warrants were issued against Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
We can argue that all of this is absurd. But the vast majority of states that signed that convention do not think so, and even if some of them share this opinion, they see themselves as obligated to act according to the court's decision. Now we are reaching further stages in the story. Israel believed that since it controls Judea and Samaria (including, in fact, the territories that were transferred to the control of the Palestinian Authority under the Oslo Accords), it has the ability to prevent, if not the establishment of a Palestinian state, then at least the fact that it will control the territory.
Regarding the Gaza Strip, the matter is more complex. Hamas created a "state" in Gaza with an army that physically controlled the strip. But Hamas is recognized in the civilized world as a terrorist organization, and therefore it was not recognized as a state. Furthermore, as long as Hamas controlled the strip, Israel could impose a naval blockade on it. This fact gave Benjamin Netanyahu, and following him the entire right wing, the "brilliant" idea to support Hamas rule in Gaza and weaken the Palestinian Authority. Hamas is an "asset," precisely because it is a terrorist organization, since for this very reason the world will not recognize it as a state. We paid the price for this "asset" on October 7.
Thus, the great paradox was created: the Gaza Strip, where Palestinians had control over the territory and the population, was not considered a state. Conversely, the Palestinian Authority, which in fact does not control any significant territory, is considered, on the international level, a state with powers, at least partial ones. The State of Palestine received a further upgrade when the UN General Assembly recognized it as an observer state. To complete the picture, I will note that the only factor preventing the accession of the State of Palestine to the UN as a full member is the US veto in the Security Council. How long the United States will persist in this policy—we shall wait and see.
The Iron Swords War has been going on for nearly 3 years. Throughout this long war, the population of the strip and part of the strip itself remained under Hamas control. This was the strategy of the Netanyahu government. Now, control over the process has passed to Donald Trump. The continuation is clear. A Palestinian government will be established in the strip, it is very possible that it will be the Palestinian Authority, perhaps with certain changes. The Trump plan speaks of one government and one weapon. What weapon? What will be the degree of demilitarization of the strip and the degree of Hamas influence? I will not elaborate on these important questions. One thing is clear. We are walking towards a Palestinian state, being established before our eyes. It can be assumed with a high level of probability that the government in Gaza, assuming that it will indeed not be (at least not officially) the terrorist rule of Hamas, will be recognized by the entire world as the State of Palestine or as part of this state. Israel will not be able to prevent this. The matter has gone out of our hands and is not under our control.
Finally, a few words about the main point. History teaches about peoples who fought each other in fury until they discovered that peace is preferable. The English fought the French for hundreds of years, and the French fought the Germans. Today, peace prevails between these three peoples. The struggle between us and the Palestinians is about a hundred years old. October 7 and the fighting in Gaza are the culmination of this war. On both sides, there are intense feelings of revenge and quite a bit of hatred. But both sides know the price of war. I believe that not only among us but also on the other side, the understanding is seeping in, at least in some circles, that peace is possible, even if these voices are silenced today or are heard only in a whisper. Paraphrasing the words of Abba Eban, one can say that humans choose the logical solution after they have tried all other options. Perhaps the time has come.
