COMMENTARY: US, Other Nations Show Support for a Palestinian State

With the permission of the Obama administration, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) raised its official flag outside its offices in Washington, DC for the first time this week.

This is a critical occurrence, because it illustrates that the United States -- Israel's closest ally -- has become upset with recent Israeli actions that have prevented a peaceful Israeli-Palestinian peace in the Middle East. Israel's resumption of settlement construction in Jerusalem -- despite the U.S. emphatically urging Israel not to do so -- in effect has derailed the Mideast peace talks and infuriated Palestinian leaders, who now no longer want to sit at the peace table with Israel.

Instead of peace talks with Israel, Palestinians have taken a new approach to peace and statehood in the Middle East; namely, the recognition of an independent Palestinian state by the nations of the world. Just today (January 19, 2011), Russia confirmed that it has recognized Palestine as an independent state.

During the past month, at least seven Latin American nations have recognized Palestine as an independent state. They are Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Guyana. Paraguay and Peru are also expected to recognize Palestine soon. Venezuela recognized Palestine in the mid-2000s.

Another 100 or more countries -- most of them developing nations -- have recognized Palestine since 1988, after then PLO leader Yassar Arafat declared the "independence" of Palestine.

The Palestinian Authority circulated a resolution to the UN Security Council last month, stating that Israeli settlement activities are illegal and are the main obstacle to a two-state peace solution. It is unlikely that the U.S. will veto this resolution, since doing so would indicate a failure to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace.

This month, an Israeli official said, "Within a year, the UN and all the nations of the world -- including the United States -- will have recognized Palestine as an independent state."

If supporting an independent Palestinian state will achieve peace in the Middle East -- and it appears that it will -- then the United States must agree to such a solution for peace to prevail.