Q: I’m confused about the Israeli and Palestinian situation. Do the Palestinians have their own country? If not, why not? Is that the reason for the conflict?
—Patricia Hillman, Atlanta
A: Palestinians do not have their own state, but the Palestinian National Authority, or PA, which was established in 1994, has limited control over part of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It has a government bureaucracy and police force and "has recently begun to pursue diplomatic initiatives to achieve international recognition as a state," Kevin Jones, an assistant professor of history at the University of Georgia, told Q&A on the News in an email.
“Neither supporters nor opponents of the initiatives really believe that the PA constitutes an independent and sovereign state,” he said. The PA has been in “legal limbo” for two decades because of obstacles blocking an agreement, including:
- The borders between Israel and Palestine.
- The status of East Jerusalem.
- The Palestinian refugees.
“The absence of a Palestinian state is the primary reason for conflict between the PA and Israel, but it is not the only factor sustaining the broader conflict,” Jones wrote. Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement based in the Gaza Strip, hasn’t “formally accepted the principle of an independent Palestinian and Israeli state living side by side,” Jones wrote.
“The official charter of the movement insists that Israel is fundamentally illegitimate and that Hamas intends to liberate the entire land of historic Palestine, which includes the state of Israel. Hamas leaders have suggested their willingness to consider a long-term truce with Israel if an independent Palestinian state is established, but Israeli leaders are not interested in any solution that withholds formal recognition of Israel’s ‘right to exist.’ ”
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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