News Desk
- Senate Democrats urge recognition of Palestine against White House stance
- Two-state solution termed essential
- Europe’s recognition drive and UN bids add weight to Palestinian push
ISLAMABAD: A landmark resolution introduced in the U.S. Senate calling for recognition of a Palestinian state has deepened a historic gulf in the Western bloc and exposed sharp divisions within America’s ruling elite.
As President Donald Trump publicly rejected Palestinian statehood during talks with British Prime Minister Keir Stramer in London, Democrat Senators Jeff Merkley, Peter Welch and Bernie Sanders moved in Washington to press the United States to formally endorse recognition. Merkley said in a press release that the measure was intended to “affirm America’s commitment to a two-state solution” as the only viable path to peace.
But the White House signalled no shift. Trump bluntly dismissed Stramer’s call for a policy change, telling reporters recognition was “off the table” and warning against what he called “rewarding terrorism.” British media described the exchange as the sharpest break in U.S.-UK policy alignment since Stramer entered Downing Street.
Hours later, Washington vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an immediate Gaza ceasefire and humanitarian aid release, with diplomats quoted by AFP saying the move underscored U.S. isolation against a backdrop of European and Arab frustration.
For Palestinians, the Senate resolution offers symbolic traction in Washington, even as its path to passage appears blocked in a Republican-led chamber and would face certain veto by Trump. Palestinian officials nonetheless hailed it as a “breakthrough moment in U.S. discourse,” telling The Washington Post that recognition momentum is growing globally and the debate itself strengthens their diplomatic hand.
The development comes amid a broader international trend. More than 140 countries, including Spain, Norway and Ireland this year, already recognize a Palestinian state. The European Union remains divided, but a growing number of member states have shifted toward recognition, arguing it strengthens prospects for peace. At the UN, Palestine secured non-member observer state status in 2012, but repeated bids for full membership have been blocked by U.S. vetoes.
Analysts said the juxtaposition of senators pressing for recognition, Trump rejecting it abroad, and the U.S. veto at the UN reveals an unusually visible fracture. “This is not just America versus the world — it’s America versus itself,” Khaled Elgindy of the Middle East Institute told Al Jazeera, noting that such divergence within U.S. politics could embolden Palestinians to rally international support while highlighting Washington’s contradictions.
While immediate policy change in Washington appears improbable, observers stressed that the debate itself marks a departure from past U.S. consensus. Historically, Democratic and Republican administrations alike have opposed unilateral recognition, preferring negotiations. The new Senate push suggests that consensus may be eroding under the weight of prolonged conflict, rising civilian tolls in Gaza, and mounting pressure from Europe and the Arab world.
