Recognizing a New State, or Just Another Reflection of the Old One

Today, Mahmoud Abbas - Palestinian President, formally requested the United Nations to recognize Palestine as a member state. And, of course, the leaders of the world are all abuzz about what to do. There are those who support it, and those who oppose it, and surely there are those who are seeking how best to find the opportunity to profit from it. So naturally amid the chaos and confusion about how to proceed, we get the chance to see the intellect of nations at work. Although I am not sure that it is apropos to use the term intellect from all that has been demonstrated and portrayed by the principle actors on the stage up to this point.

We hear why it is important that the Palestinians should be granted a state of their own. We hear why statehood cannot be achieved by fiat through a United Nations decree. But we don’t hear about the substance of the request. This is not because this would settle the issue which it would not, but because we are talking about the competence and understanding that world leaders both possess and rely upon. Surely, at least one world leader is almost smart enough to have noticed something important is being missed. It’s not possible, is it; that world leaders haven’t figured out that there are bigger issues related to this request than the question of whether there are sufficient and legitimate grounds and reasons to grant a statehood status to Palestine.

Apparently, it is. We are about to witness yet another illustration of the depth of vision that the collective wisdom and knowledge possessed by this assembly of the specially anointed leaders of our world and all their advisors and backers. The world will reap the bounty from the seed that is planted by their decision. While the seed will be different for whichever decision they make, they cannot avoid the inevitable consequences that once sown the harvest is sure to come. Although the world may find that as the tree produces the fruits of their intellect; it may not be sweet to the taste, nourishing to the body, or desirable for the soul.

If the United Nations can solve the Palestinian problem by bestowing statehood upon them, aren’t there any number of world problems that the United Nations can solve as simply? And if not, what are the questions that should be exposed as central to the Palestinian issue that are not being asked and certainly not discussed? What hasn’t even occurred to these smart individuals?

Well, the fruit of that tree is plentiful indeed. Thus explaining why the path to Palestinian statehood has evaded the effort of world leaders for such a short period of time.