In a world beset by concepts of statehood, nationalism and
individualism, where values of peace, stability and prosperity
intermingle with those of power, security and national interest,
the Palestinians have been struggling to determine their own
existence, commonly referred to as "self-determination." In recent
decades, the Palestinian national movement strove to find its place
in the international arena and to acquire the legitimacy required
for existing as a nation. The speech of Yasser Arafat to the United
Nations General Assembly in 1974 did find its echo in international
forums, while his speech in 1988 based the legitimacy of the
Palestinian national independence on U.N. Resolution 181. The visit
of U.S. President Bill Clinton to Gaza in December 1998, his speech
there to the Palestinian National Council and his subsequent
commitments were high points in this protracted and continuous
process of international recognition of Palestinian national
rights.
Overdue Statehood
With the century nearing its end, the Palestinians aspire to a new
start, tempted to believe that their battle has been won and is a
thing of the past and that the new century will be one of statehood
and stability in the not-so-coherent structure of Palestinian
existence.
Palestinian statehood is long overdue. After decades of struggle
for recognition, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) is in
control of major cities in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The
Palestinians have a representative authority, an elected parliament
and a government led by an elected president. There is a
Palestinian airport and a Palestinian police force. Moreover, there
are diplomatic representations of foreign countries to the PNA.
There are promising developments in the domains of information,
industry, trade and economy. A number of institutions have been
working in the areas of democracy, human rights, women's and
children's issues; and established organizations have been working
in the fields of public health, education and others. Donor
agencies and donor money have been active and forthcoming in the
last couple of years. Ministries and public institutions have
employed a high number of personnel, qualified and underqualified,
who, otherwise, might have been unemployed. The major achievement
can be summarized by stating that there are both valid public and
private sectors in the PNA, leading, therefore, to the elementary
conclusion that statehood has been rightly earned and is now
due.
The Question of Borders
In all literature of international relations, statehood is defined
by its elements of sovereignty, representative authority, and
territory with defined and recognized borders. With the knowledge
that major and essential elements of statehood have been acquired -
a representative government, a recognized nation, and an
internationally recognized history of struggle for
self-determination - the Palestinians can declare a state. The
problem that would impose itself on Palestinian statehood would be
the difficulty of defining the borders of the state. But does a
state need to define its borders? Could it not be the novelty of
the 21st century that a state may exist without defined
borders?
In the age of communication, the media and the Internet, this
concept might very well be valid. A state can have its place in the
world without having to define its borders. It has been said that
self-determination means that the self determines its existence and
defines itself. Thus, each state can choose and determine its
structure, form, system, language, culture and aspirations. And
like an Internet website, it can exist without clear delimitations
of borders. The state can be referred to as or , or .
There will be no defined borders for this state "currently under
construction." Indeed, we can learn from international history that
states have been proclaimed while their borders were still being
disputed and before border issues were defined or settled, once the
founders of the state had gained recognition and acceptance by the
international community. For example, the State of Slovenia was
recognized even before the complete disintegration of Yugoslavia.
In certain cases, this recognition came to satisfy a sort of
balance of power. In other cases, it has been the strong will of
the nation to find its place in the international arena. In the
case of the Palestinian people, it has been both. The Palestinian
struggle for self-determination over long decades ensures the right
of that people to find its place on the international map. With the
establishment of the Palestinian National Authority, the
Palestinian demand for independent statehood can no longer be
overlooked. Even without borders, the Palestinian state is finding
its place in the international world of states and entities.