The issue of Palestinian statehood is again generating considerable discussion with all indications suggesting that the bid for statehood will be presented to the United Nations on September 20. Plans to submit the Palestinian proposal have sparked vigorous support and opposition. Palestinians are considering proposals to upgrade their status from an “observer entity” gained in 1974, to an “observer state,” a “nonmember state,” or a “member state.” Time will tell which course of action will be proposed to the General Assembly, but observer status is one step higher than observer entity, and would not require action by the U.N. Security Council. If it decides to pursue nonmember state status, this would be more of a symbolic victory that would not allow Palestinians to challenge Israel’s occupation of its territory. Full member state status would most closely fulfill the Palestinian vision for statehood and self-determination, but the obstacles for securing this standing are significant. The U.S. would veto the bid for sure in the Security Council, and typically when the Security Council recommends membership, it then relays the request to the General Assembly. The European Union (EU) has also been split with a prospective vote on Palestinian statehood among its member states.
As with previous attempts to secure statehood, Palestinians must demonstrate that they are able to govern themselves as a sovereign nation capable of nurturing a stable political system and economy. Acts of terrorism by Palestinian militants have taken the spotlight from state building activities in the past, and members of the U.N. will consider this historical context in the decision-making process as they register their votes. The Middle East has remained in a state of tension which began in December 2010, with surges of demonstrations and protests (known as the Arab Spring) occurring in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Syria, and Yemen. Unrest has followed in other nations as well. The Israeli government continues to embrace its hardline position under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the negotiation process has stalled on both sides. The continued Israeli occupation of sections of the West Bank and east Jerusalem are a source of tension, particularly among militant Palestinian factions. This has been exacerbated by recent announcements by Israel that it plans to build new homes in the West Bank, which was met by disapproval from the Middle East Quartet comprised of the U.S., Russia, the EU, and the U.N. With both sides demonstrating such an unwavering commitment to their own values, the questions now become: if Palestinians are denied a change in their status by the U.N., will this provoke a continued cycle of violence and unrest similar to what was seen in the intifadas (uprisings) of the past, and further endanger its future prospects for statehood? Or, if it is granted a status change, will it be able to build a strong state where terrorism is curbed, and how will relations with the hardline government of Israel evolve? There are other scenarios, but with any outcome one can expect significant developments to unfold in Palestinian affairs in times to come.
Dr. Daniel Baracskay is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Administration at Valdosta State University. Dr. Baracskay has a PhD in Political Science from the University of Cincinnati. He is the author of numerous journal articles and book chapters, including an article titled “Marshall Dimock’s Theoretical Legacy” in Public Administration and Management; “Strategic Communication During the Cold War” in Information Warfare 2.0 edited by James Forest; and “The April 1995 Bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City” and “The February 1993 Attack on the World Trade Center” in the popular volume Combating Terrorism in the 21st Century, also edited by James Forest. He recently published a book titled, The Palestine Liberation Organization: Terrorism and Prospects for Peace in the Holy Land in May 2011 through Praeger Press.
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Additional Resources
The Palestine Liberation Organization: Terrorism and Prospects for Peace in the Holy Land
Daniel Baracskay
Praeger, 5/2011
This meticulous and in-depth book chronicles the evolution of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)—one of the most powerful and influential terrorist organizations in modern Middle Eastern politics and world affairs.
The 10th anniversary of 9/11 is an appropriate time to reflect on whether al-Qaida, the terrorist organization responsible for the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks, is still a serious threat to the United States. With the deaths of Osama bin Laden in May and Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, al-Qaida's second-ranking figure, in August, U.S. officials feel they have seriously weakened the group. However, others caution that al-Qaida has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to bounce back and should not be taken lightly.
A leading terrorism expert, James Forest, recently addressed the question of al-Qaida's future in a commentary on the Praeger Security International database.
In the long run . . . al-Qaida will cease to be a threat. No terrorist organization of any kind has been around forever. Their attacks have already alienated an overwhelming majority of the Muslim world, which is al-Qaida’s primary audience. They’re constantly appealing for support, and trying to justify their actions to the Muslim world, but at the same time al-Qaida attacks over the last decade have killed 8 Muslims for every 1 non-Muslim. That kind of hypocrisy undermines their ability to sustain the movement over the long term.
It may take a generation before al-Qaida loses all hope of financial support, recruitment, and safe haven. When the day comes that some al-Qaida figurehead releases a video statement, and absolutely nobody in the world is the least bit concerned, that day will make the final strategic victory. Osama bin Laden's "vision of the future", a future which (according to him and his colleagues) requires the murder of countless innocent people around the world, will someday meet the fate of bin Laden himself. When al-Qaida's ideology fails to resonate with anyone, and nobody anywhere in the world is inspired or motivated to murder on behalf of al-Qaida, the strategic victory that begins with the death of bin Laden will be complete.
JAMES J.F.
FOREST, PhD is an associate
professor at the University
of Massachusetts Lowell,
where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on terrorism, weapons of
mass destruction, and contemporary security studies. He was the Director of
Terrorism Studies at the United
States Military Academy from 2001 to 2010. Dr. Forest
was selected by the Center for American Progress and Foreign Policy as one of “America’s
most esteemed terrorism and national security experts” and participated in
their annual Terrorism Index studies 2006 through 2010.
