Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Support the IDS in College Media Madness! Donate here March 24 - April 8.
Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

Editorial: The U.S. must recognize Palestine

The Holey Land?

Palestine has been upgraded to non-member observer status in the United Nations.
For the United States, it’s an important moment to re-frame the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in terms that recognize Israel is not innocent. This is not the righteous against the wicked.

Palestine’s gestures toward its own sovereignty are not merely provocative actions. Most of the UN recognizes this. The UN General Assembly voted in favor of the resolution 138 to nine last Thursday in New York.

The U.S. was one of the few countries to oppose the resolution. U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice called the decision “unfortunate and counterproductive.” She reiterated, “This resolution does not establish that Palestine is a state.”

Rice is correct, but it does allow Palestine access to UN resources, like the
International Criminal Court.

The resolution also formally recognizes Palestine in a way contrary to its popular depiction in the U.S.

During the violence two weeks ago, President Barack Obama said in favor of Israel’s attacks on Palestine, “There’s no country on Earth that would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens from outside its borders.” His logic doesn’t extend to Palestine. In the recent attacks, 39 Palestinians were killed. 

Peace and diplomacy go both ways.

Hopefully the UN vote will force pro-Israel U.S. citizens to rethink their allegiance. For a fair compromise to be reached, Palestine deserves recognition and respectful treatment by the U.S.

“We did not come here seeking to delegitimize a state established years ago, and that is Israel,” said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. “Rather, we came to affirm the legitimacy of a state that must now achieve its
independence, and that is Palestine.”

Since the UN decision, Israel has punished Palestine.Israel is not paying taxes due to the Palestinian Authority, instead paying  off Palestinian debts to Israeli electrical companies. Those taxes help pay the thousands of Palestinian salaries. Israel has also approved the construction of 3,000 homes in the West Bank to expand their colonization of Palestine.

Zionist U.S. citizens should take this opportunity to question why the overwhelming majority of UN member states disagreed with the U.S. and approved Palestine’s
upgraded status.

Why are Palestinians who defend themselves from Israel Defense Forces called terrorists when their land has been seized and occupied?

Why does the U.S. refuse to acknowledge Israel’s war crimes committed against Palestine, including drone strikes and the blockade of building materials?

Why does the U.S. insist that Israel be involved in every action toward Palestine’s
self-determination?

The UN resolution does not put an end to the violence in the region. Too many humans, Israeli and Palestinian, will continue to suffer. Palestinian statehood does, however, represent a step toward leveling the diplomatic playing field.

Get stories like this in your inbox
Subscribe