Strategic Assessment

On September 23, 2011, the Palestinian leadership based in Ramallah appealed to the United Nations to recognize a Palestinian state. The plausible scenario is that since the application will likely not be approved by the Security Council, the General Assembly will grant the Palestinians upgraded status as a non-member state, i.e., as an observer. The article examines the implications for Israel of a General Assembly upgrade of the status of the Palestinian Authority to a non-member state, and underscores that Israel has no choice but to respond in moderation and deal judiciously with the practical ramifications of the Palestinian move – all the while emphasizing that the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations is ultimately decided in negotiations rather than in a unilateral policy that bypasses negotiations.