Palestine Statehood Day is marked every year on 15 November – a day to remember the 1988 Palestinian Declaration of Independence. It is also a day to remember Peace, justice and human rights for all.
It marked a significant moment in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The declaration emerged during the Intifada, a Palestinian uprising against Israeli control in the occupied territories, which was characterized by considerable violence as Palestinians sought recognition of their right to a homeland.
The Intifada erupted in December 1987 and would ended in September 1993 with the Oslo Accords. The Oslo Accords, signed by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)leader Yasser Arafat and then-Israeli premier Yitzhak Rabin, was an agreement that saw the establishment of the Palestinian Authority and was meant to pave the way for Palestinian statehood but did not.
The "Palestinian Declaration of Independence" was written by famed Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish and proclaimed by Yasser Arafat in the Algerian capital in 1988, where the proclamation of statehood was made. It had previously been adopted by the Palestinian National Council, the legislative body of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), by a vote of 253 in favor, 46 against and 10 abstentions. In April 1989, the PLO Central Council elected Yasser Arafat the first President of the State of Palestine.
The declaration sought to recognise an independent state, accepting a two-state solution with Israel. "The National Council declares, in the name of God, and in the name of the Palestinian Arab people, the establishment of the State of Palestine on our Palestinian land, with Holy Jerusalem as its capital." the declaration reads. "This is based on the natural, historical and legal right of the Palestinian Arab people to their homeland, Palestine, and the sacrifices of its successive generations in defence of the freedom and independence of their homeland, based on the decisions of the Arab summits and the strength of international legitimacy embodied in the United Nations resolutions since 1947; and the Palestinian Arab people exercise their right to self-determination, political independence, and sovereignty over their land," it concludes.
The declaration was largely symbolic, as Israel still controlled the West Bank and Gaza Strip. However, it marked a major step in the Palestinian struggle for statehood. If you're curious, read the full declaration here:
Israel greeted the declaration with condemnation and curfews, calling it a threat to peace, that they (Israel) are the ones who govern and that “We are the ones who determine what will happen." Despite the absence of agreements with Israel or clearly defined borders, the declaration garnered significant media attention and received support from a majority of the United Nations General Assembly. The declaration also received widespread support internationally. Over 100 countries quickly recognized the State of Palestine, though the reality of its independence remained constrained by the Israeli occupation of its territories.
The context for this declaration was intensified by King Hussein of Jordan's decision to relinquish Jordan's claims to the West Bank, further complicating the political landscape.
In a bid to gain favor with both Israel and the United States, the PLO renounced terrorism and acknowledged Israel's legitimacy. However, ongoing violence and stalled diplomatic efforts hindered further progress in the peace process. The events of this period continue to influence the dynamics of Israeli-Palestinian relations into the present day.
As of September 2025, the State of Palestine is recognized as a sovereign state by 157 of the 193 member states of the United Nations (UN), or just over 80% of all UN members. It has been a non-member observer state of the UN General Assembly since November 2012. This limited status is largely due to the fact that the United States, a permanent member of the UN Security Council with veto power, has consistently blocked Palestine's full UN membership; Palestine is recognized by the other four permanent members, which are China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom.
The increase in countries formally recognizing Palestine reflects the success of Palestinian diplomatic efforts and strengthens its leverage in negotiations with Israel and on the global stage. Recognizing Palestinian statehood also challenges decades of Zionist-backed oppression and opens the door for true peace based on rights, not occupation and apartheid.
Recognition as a state allows Palestine to establish diplomatic relations on equal footing with other nations, exchange ambassadors with countries that recognize its statehood and challenge the US veto blocking full UN membership.
Additionally, it provides formal acceptance of Palestinian passports in those countries, enabling Palestine to enact domestic policies affirming its statehood. The recognition signals that occupied territories are considered part of the Palestinian state, opposing Israel's attempts at annexation.
While recognition does not directly end the occupation or change conditions in the Gaza Strip, it contributes to ending the conflict, achieving a lasting solution, and holding perpetrators accountable.
Sadly Palestine still isn't a state, but a set of occupied territories, occupied by a fascist ethno-state. However support for Israel appears to be declining sharply in Western Europe while solidarity with the Palestinians keeps growing.
Many citizens are shocked by the scale and direction of Israel’s response to Hamas’s cross-border attacks of October 2023, with a growing outcry over the 65,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza.
Indeed Israel seems to be losing in the broader Western court of public opinion. In earlier rounds of conflict, such as the first and second intifada (1987 and 2000), Israel always held the prevailing narrative.
This time the competition over the narrative is very different; not because the Palestinians are winning it, but because Israel is losing it. Far-right Israeli cabinet ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir have been banned from visiting Spain, Slovenia, Belgium, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the UK for inciting violence against Palestinians.
Israel’s spokespeople, are struggling to control the public debate, following South Africa’s bringing of a genocide case at the International Court of Justice, and the International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu rejects Palestinian statehood, ignoring ongoing struggle for rights and self-determination, fueling violence and insecurity. Peace requires acknowledging Palestinian rights.
Meanwhile ever since October 7th international support for Palestinian statehood has skyrocketed while international support for Israel has collapsed. Israeli settlers are fleeing their colony in massive numbers while the Israeli economy continues to suffer. We are witnessing the end of the Zionist entity and it normalization.
In spite of this media bias shields genocidal Israel as it mass arrests and ethnically cleanses. Gaza chokes under genocidal Israel's apartheid. This humanitarian catastrophe demands immediate international intervention! Silence is complicity.
Boycott, Divest, Sanction! End the occupation and hold Israel accountable for war crimes. Western complicity must end! We need accountability now and the enforcement of international law.
As Palestinians continue to face down and resist Israel’s genocide, occupation and apartheid we must reaffirm our strong commitment to the Palestinian right to self-determination and our unwavering support for the establishment of an independent, viable, and contiguous state of Palestine, on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the basis of the two-state solution for lasting peace.
Recognising this should not be seen as a reward but as an inalienable right. This is unquestionable and untradeable. I hope that the days will come as soon as possible when the Palestinian people will live in peace and security on their own land, under the roof of their own state.
On Palestine Statehood Day I reiterate my unwavering support for the State of Palestine, standing in solidarity with my oppressed Palestinian brothers and sisters and their righteous cause who find strength in their faith and resilience through unimaginable pain.
True liberation cannot come from coexistence between colonizer and colonized. Palestinians have the right to self-determination in their homeland. This means the return of refugees, dismantling apartheid structures, and restoring Palestinian sovereignty from the river to the sea.
