Some Major Western Countries Announce the Recognition of a Palestinian State

0:00Today on State of the World, some major Western countries announced the recognition of a Palestinian state. You're listening to State of the World from NPR. We bring you the day's most vital international stories, up close where they're happening. It's Monday, September 22nd. I'm Greg Dixon. It's something Palestinians have waited decades for, and Israel has decried. Over the weekend, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and others announced they recognized Palestine as a sovereign state. And today at the United Nations in New York, France made a similar announcement. We'll go to the U.N. to hear how that's being received in a few minutes.

0:43First, NPR's Kerry Khan gives us Palestinian reaction to the news from the occupied West Bank. Basil Rejoub is taking a break at a new huge mall atop a hill in Ramallah, the commercial center of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. It makes us proud to see so many standing with us, he says, referring to those countries recognizing a Palestinian state. Since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas that sparked the war in Gaza, the West Bank economy has been in crisis. Public servant salaries have been slashed, like Rajoub, an elementary school teacher. Unemployment has skyrocketed, Citing security risks, Israel canceled work permits for some 200 ,000 Palestinians, and residents are facing the toughest travel restrictions in years.

1:36I go like a month, my friend also. We go months without seeing our family because the roads are so tough. Sarah Mohammed and Bisa, also with the last name Mohammed, are both 20 and both study computer engineering at nearby Birzeit University and are hanging out at the mostly deserted mall. They live on campus but try to get to their hometowns when they can. There are now more than 1 ,200 checkpoints and gates in the West Bank, according to Palestinian authorities. Both say they want more than just recognition. Here's Sara first. We want actions. We want people to speak up, to change something, not to just say it and move on.

2:15And Biso. I'm so done of hearing people, like, talking about the thing without actions being done, actually. Like, we're so tired. I feel like we're no longer that much recognized as human beings, actually. It's devastating. The muted mood here is a far cry from celebrations that broke out back in 2012 when the United Nations upgraded Palestine to observer state status. Back then, huge crowds watched the vote on big screen TVs in the main square of Ramallah. This year, though, nothing is planned for today's formal announcement or for the U.N. address by the president of the Palestinian Authority later in the week.

2:55He'll be speaking via video, says Dr. Omar Awadallah, the Palestinian Authority's deputy minister of foreign affairs. The U.S. denied visas for most of the Palestinian delegation, citing in part their lobbying for recognition, which Awadallah says is more than symbolic. It's practical. It's a recognition of the rights of the Palestinian people, mainly the natural, the moral, the legal right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. At an event in Jerusalem last week during the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says recognition rewards Hamas for terrorism.

3:37He pledged Israel would retaliate. Any unilateral action can be met with unilateral action, and there will be no Palestinian state. Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Omar Awadallah says Netanyahu will not deter them. The Palestinian people is a fact and we will be staying here. And a Palestinian state will happen sooner or later, he says. Carrie Khan, NPR News, Ramallah. For international reaction to these countries recognizing Palestine as a sovereign state, we're going to hear from NPR's Michelle Kellerman, who is at the United Nations in New York. She spoke to Elsa Chang. OK, so give us a sense of the scene there at the UN right now.

4:19Yeah, so today, France and Saudi Arabia co-hosted this conference on Palestinian statehood. And French President Emmanuel Macron got a standing ovation when he announced that his country now recognizes Palestine as a state. You know, later in his remarks, he said he would be opening an embassy for Palestine. as soon as all the hostages are freed and a ceasefire is established. Macron seemed to really be enjoying being at the center of attention in the General Assembly Hall. He sat at the dais alongside Saudi Arabia's foreign minister. And during his speech, the webcast showed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas also applauding Macron, too.

5:06But he was on video because the Trump administration refused to give him a visa to actually come here. In his speech, Abbas called for a ceasefire and talks with Israel, and he made clear that Hamas should have no role in Gaza and must surrender all of its weapons. But, you know, his government in Ramallah doesn't really have influence there in Gaza. And Israel and the U.S. boycotted this conference, right? What are they saying? Right. I mean, their seats were empty during this session. Before it started, Israeli Ambassador Denny Danong called it a charade and a gift to Hamas. Take a listen. When Hamas is praising this conference and calling it the fruit of October 7th, we know it's a problem.

5:50If a terrorist organization is supporting what's happening here, it's shameful. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been warning countries that he's going to retaliate against those who are recognizing Palestine as a state. Danone didn't say what he would do, but said that Netanyahu would address the world body on Friday and would visit Washington to discuss next steps with President Trump. All right, so it sounds like it'll be a pretty dramatic moment when Netanyahu speaks at the end of the week. What else are you expecting? Lots of talk about Russia's war against Ukraine. After Trump speaks tomorrow, he's expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

6:28And this morning, his new ambassador, Mike Waltz, made his first appearance in the Security Council. It was an emergency meeting called by the Estonians after three Russian fighter jets violated Estonian airspace last weekend. Waltz called on Russia to stop what he called this dangerous behavior and said that NATO would control all of its airspace. That is NPR's Michelle Kellerman speaking to us from the United Nations in New York. Thank you, Michelle. Thank you.

7:02That's the State of the World from NPR. Thanks for listening. you