Time to recognise a Palestinian state

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/28/time-to-recognise-a-palestinian-state

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With the background of the current turmoil in the Middle East, the news that the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has, at the UN general assembly, declared the US-led peace process dead (Report, 27 September), the prospects of a two-state solution look more remote than ever. This makes ever more pressing the urgency of buttressing the Palestinian Authority, reinforced, as it has been, by a concordat between Fatah and Hamas. So British recognition of the state of Palestine, joining 134 of the 193 member states of the UN, in an initiative advocated by Vincent Fean (until recently our consul-general in Jerusalem) would be a very welcome move, which ought to influence US policy in this regard, a sine qua non for the international pressure needed to bear down on Israel. That President Obama is sympathetic is evident from his recent reiteration to the UN general assembly of his commitment to the two-state principle; a reminder of what he said in his speech in Cairo in 2009 during his first term: “....it is undeniable that the Palestinian people – Muslim and Christian – have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than 60 years they have endured the pain of dislocation ... They endure the daily humiliations, large and small, of occupation. So let there be no doubt: the situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity and a state of their own.”

But Oliver Miles says “it would be idle to look for public agreement since the administration’s hands are tied by Congress” (Comment, 27 September). With the utmost temerity I question this. Although the US constitution does not explicitly grant presidents the power to recognise foreign governments, it is generally accepted that they have this power as a consequence of their constitutional authority to send and receive ambassadors, and presidents have successfully claimed exclusive authority to decide which foreign governments will be recognised. This being so, at this advanced stage of his second presidency, would it be far-fetched to expect President Obama to show grit, and honour with action the fine words he spoke five years ago?Benedict BirnbergLondon