Why is there no Palestinian state? The answer lies in decades of failed opportunities

The question of why a Palestinian state has not yet emerged often surfaces, frequently framed as an indictment of Israel. However, a historical perspective reveals that the concept of an independent Palestinian state is a modern one, with no precedent in history. The lands in question have been governed by a succession of powers, including Romans, Byzantines, various Arab and Muslim dynasties, Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans, and the British. Crucially, there has never been a distinct Palestinian Arab country with its own government, army, or currency.

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Before asking why there is no Palestinian state today, it is worth recalling a basic historical fact: there has never been a Palestinian state in all of history.

The very name "Palestine" lacks historical resonance in major religious texts like the Hebrew Bible, the Christian New Testament, and the Koran. Its Roman imposition as "Syria Palaestina" under Emperor Hadrian was an attempt to sever the Jewish connection to the land and erase the memory of Jewish sovereignty. In the modern era, Palestinian Arab statehood has been repeatedly offered and just as repeatedly rejected by Arab leadership.

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The land was ruled, over the centuries, by Romans, Byzantines, Arab and Muslim dynasties, Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans, and the British. But there was never an independent Palestinian Arab country with its own government, army, currency, or capital.

This pattern of rejection began early. In 1937, the British Peel Commission proposed partitioning Mandatory Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states. While the Zionist leadership accepted partition in principle, Arab leaders rejected the proposal. A decade later, in 1947, the United Nations put forth a similar partition plan. The Jewish leadership accepted, but the Arab leadership refused. Instead of establishing a Palestinian state, the Arab world launched a war in 1948 to prevent the creation of a Jewish one.

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The many failed chances for a Palestinian state

Further opportunities were missed. From 1948 to 1967, Jordan controlled the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and Egypt controlled Gaza. During these 19 years, with Israel having no presence in these territories, no Palestinian state was established. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), founded in 1964, focused its original charter on demanding the "whole of Israel," not just the territories later discussed for statehood. This rejectionist stance continued after Israel's 1967 victory, with the Arab League's Khartoum resolution famously declaring "Three Noes": no peace, no recognition, no negotiations with Israel. The 1993 Oslo Accords, intended to foster peace, also ultimately failed to result in Palestinian statehood.

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The Jewish leadership said yes, and the Arab leadership said no.