US says it wants a Palestinian state – its actions say otherwise

Spain, Ireland and Norway recognized a Palestinian state in May 2024, bringing the total number of countries that do so to 144. The United States is not one of them.

The US has officially favored a two-state solution, meaning both Israel and a Palestinian state would be recognized as official countries, since the Clinton administration in the 1990s. President Joe Biden reiterated that position at his July 11, 2024, news conference following the NATO summit, when he said, “There’s no ultimate answer other than a two-state solution.”

Yet the U.S. alone has consistently blocked the Palestinian territories from being fully recognized as a country – at least symbolically – by preventing them from becoming the 194th member state of the United Nations.

Palestine does have the status of being a permanent observer at the UN, where it is represented by the Palestinian Authority. Being a permanent observer lets Palestine attend most meetings, but it cannot vote on any international agreements or recommendations.

I am a scholar of international affairs and a former US diplomat. Understanding this paradox requires a bit of history.

In the beginning

When the state of Israel was created in 1948, it was immediately attacked by its Arab neighbors Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, which refused to recognize its right to exist, but did nothing to create a Palestinian state. Subsequent wars and lesser hostilities have plagued the region ever since.

Over the years, the US has provided extensive support to Israel, in terms of politics, money and military aid. At the same time, the US has tried to help move the Israeli, Palestinian and Arab-country leaders toward a day when they could all live in peace.

The current war in Gaza has