Peace For Palestine (And Israel) Demands Palestinian Statehood

A Ceasefire Is Necessary But Alone Insufficient — Recognition, Aid, & Accountability Must Follow. Sign the petition to demand the United States recognize Palestinian statehood.

If you’re reading this, you may have seen the news: a ceasefire is now in effect in Gaza. The Israeli military says its forces are pulling back. Thousands of Palestinians from the south are walking toward Gaza City. The clock is ticking: over the next 72 hours, Hamas is to release 48 Israeli hostages, while Israel is set to release some 2000 of its nearly 10,000 Palestinian hostages in Israeli prisons. The world watches. But unless we build upon this ceasefire with a rapid aid, accountability, and yes, Palestinian statehood, we risk laying the groundwork for the perpetuation of Israel’s genocide upon the Palestinian people. Let’s Address This.

I have called for a ceasefire since before October 7, 2023. Yes, before October 7. A reminder that in the year prior to October 7, the Israeli military and settlers killed nearly 250 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, including 47 children. The Israeli military held more than 10,000 Palestinians hostage, and built more than 12,000 illegal homes on Palestinian land. The war crimes Hamas committed on 10/7 were not a start to the violence, but a perpetuation. Now, a ceasefire is a pause in violence—but it is not justice in itself. After more than two years of bombardment, siege, starvation, and genocide, the Palestinian people in Gaza needs more than temporary reprieve. They needs sustainable peace, humanitarian rescue, and statehood rooted in dignity and self-determination. And they need us to raise our voices. To that effect, I have launched a petition on Change.org calling on the U.S. government to officially recognize Palestine as a state. Why? Because the right to self-determination is a human right, not a political privilege. Sign it, share it, demand it.

The Urgent Imperatives: Aid, Accountability, and Statehood

Over these next 72 hours, we must see immediate action on the following.

1. Humanitarian Aid Must Flow at Once

The ceasefire does not ease the suffering of over two million people trapped in an open-air prison. After decades of blockade, repeated bombings, destroyed hospitals, and famine—Palestinians in Gaza are dying of hunger, disease, and neglect. Aid convoys, food, medicine, and clean water require safe corridors and protection. Israel committed war crimes by denying these to Palestinians, and that wrong must be rectified immediately. Which brings me to point 2.

2. Prosecute War Criminals

The scale of destruction in Gaza cannot be brushed aside once guns go silent. The international consensus is clear: Israel’s conduct meets every element of genocide under Article II of the UN Convention. Scholars, UN bodies, Israeli and Jewish historians, and human rights groups all agree. Those responsible must be held to account—not just rhetorically, but in mechanisms that enforce justice: the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, universal jurisdiction, and withholding diplomatic assent. Ceasefire without justice is impunity. Likewise, the ICC issued arrest warrants to Hamas leadership for war crimes committed on 10/7. They, too, must face due process of law, just as must Netanyahu, Gallant, and other top named Israeli government officials. And likewise, we must lay the groundwork for long-term Palestinian self-determination. Which brings me to point 3.

3. Recognition of Palestine as a State

The majority of the world already recognizes Palestine’s statehood. More than 157 UN member states, including many U.S. allies—such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Ireland, Norway, and Australia—have recognized Palestine as a sovereign state. Arab League members, much of Latin and South America, and most Asian and African states have done so as well. But the United States still refuses. The U.S. cannot continue to stand on the wrong side of history. Recognition isn’t symbolic—it’s the legal basis for diplomatic, economic, and human rights support. It strengthens Palestine’s standing at the UN, empowers its institutions, and advances possibilities for a just peace. It ensures safety for Palestine and for Israel. The only people who oppose statehood are those committed to future war and genocide. We cannot let such cruel narratives win. Add your voice to demand Palestinian statehood.

Green: Countries that recognize Palestinian Statehood. The United States currently sits on the wrong side of history. We must change that with our voice.

What You Can Do Right Now

• Sign the Change.org Petition calling on the U.S. to recognize Palestine as a state—and share it broadly.

• Contact your elected officials and demand they support full recognition, push for aid corridors into Gaza, and refuse to let war criminals go unpunished.

• Support human rights media & independent journalism—platforms that will not bury this story or sanitize its horrors.

• Voice your outrage in your communities, on social media, at civic forums. Show up to marches and protests. This isn’t someone else’s fight. It’s our universal fight for basic human dignity.

Conclusion

A ceasefire is a needed respite—but it is not victory. We must continue to push forward—in the short term to ensure Palestinians receive the crucial aid they need to survive, and in the long term to ensure those responsible for this genocide are held accountable. We must continue to fight to ensure Gaza is rebuilt, that Palestinians are empowered to rebuild Gaza (as opposed to a Trumpian property scheme), the people of Palestine healed, the history of Palestine told, and the nation of Palestine recognized.

Because self-determination is not a favor, but a human right. Sign the petition. Share this article to spread the petition. And demand Palestinian recognition. Make clear: the United States must no longer be complicit.

Let’s not just hope for peace. Let’s build it.