US Rejects Palestine's UN Membership Contradicting Two-State

The United States' stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a topic of much discussion and criticism. Unlike most governments that support a two-state solution, the U.S. only recognizes Israel, not Palestine.

Last week, America cast the lone dissenting vote against Palestine's application to join Israel and the other 192 countries as full members of the UN, undermining efforts towards peace in the Middle East. The Biden administration's insistence that Israel must approve UN recognition for Palestine, a condition Israel categorically rejects, aligns with this action.

This position by the Biden administration has come under severe scrutiny and criticism from various quarters, including those who argue that it contradicts its own claim of supporting a "two-state solution." 140 countries have recognized the State of Palestine since its declaration in 1988. However, despite this global acknowledgment, the U.S. continues to insist that such recognition would be premature.

One cannot help but question why President Biden and Democratic congressional leaders still purport to support a two-state solution while actively working against it. One could argue that their actions reveal an inherent insincerity or duplicity within their proclamations.

Unlike most governments around the world, which advocate for peaceful coexistence between these two nations by recognizing both states equally, US policy refuses any form of correspondence with Palestinian officials referencing "State of Palestine." The treatment of Jerusalem reveals a glaring bias favoring Israel over Palestinians, even though Jerusalem serves as a center for Palestinian cultural life.

Moreover, US legislation requires the State Department to persuade countries to unilaterally recognize Israel without making a similar effort to recognize Palestinian statehood, effectively removing leverage from negotiations between these parties, even though all Arab states have agreed to recognize Israel if it reciprocates by recognizing Palestine.

Another point worth noting is how different the American response was when Iraq invaded Kuwait back in 1990. There was no insistence on bilateral negotiations between the occupier and occupied nation then, unlike now, where the US insists Palestine statehood is only acceptable if agreed upon by Israel in bilateral talks.

The U.S.'s double standard becomes more apparent when viewed through the lens of the United Nations' role in establishing both states. While the Biden administration celebrates the UN's creation of the State of Israel via Resolution 181 in 1947, the same leaders reject any role for the UN in the establishment of a Palestinian state.

One must question why this discrepancy exists. Why do Biden and Democratic congressional leaders still claim to support a two-state solution while going such great lengths to prevent one?

Martin Luther King Jr. once described a "white moderate" as someone who supports goals but not methods, insists on endless negotiations with oppressors, refuses to compromise, and believes they can set a timetable for someone else's freedom.

This duplicity within Democratic leadership needs to be recognized by Democrats themselves. Until then, the Biden administration, along with Congressional leaders, will continue to give lip service to a two-state solution while blocking every avenue that makes it possible. It’s time for them to truly commit to the peace process and recognize Palestinians’ right to self-determination just like they have recognized Israelis’.