1. Recognition of a state means its recognition as an acting subject.
2. As a result of the modern understanding of the state, which has prevailed since the 17th century and its monopoly on the use of force in society, one of the central responsibilities of every state is to ensure the protection of the permanent and orderly coexistence of the people living in a specific, demarcated territory.
3. The 147 states that have recognised Palestine to date, representing three-quarters of all United Nations member states, have therefore also expressed that Palestine has the right to take steps to protect its citizens.
4. The United Nations World Food Programme has confirmed that in Gaza, the western part of Palestine, the majority of the more than two million citizens are threatened with starvation.
5. Given this situation, the Palestinian government based in Ramallah has the right- and the obligation- to request immediate humanitarian intervention from the governments of the 147 states.
6. In anticipation of such a request for assistance, the recognizing states should therefore immediately begin planning such a humanitarian intervention.
7. Should the Palestinian government request all (or some) of the 147 states for active assistance, these states must decide whether and how to proceed; for example, they could submit a resolution at the UN General Assembly.
8. Some of the 147 states have extensive experience in disaster management outside their own borders and in protecting such an operation from militarily disruptive maneuvers.
9. Since several states are likely to respond positively to such a request for assistance from the Palestinian government, coordination, presumably by one (or more) of the UN agencies, is necessary.
10. Given the geographical conditions, the only suitable location for establishing a series of militarily protected ‘safe havens’ and setting up everything necessary for the basic survival of Gaza’s citizens is the 40-kilometre-long coastline of Gaza.
(Frank Schwalba-Hoth)
