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World
Palestinian Statehood: Prospects Are 'Disappearing,' Warn Two Former World Leaders
Herz — World Desk · · 30s summary · 3 min read
The essentials
Mary Robinson, Ireland's first president, and Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, warned on July 17, 2026, that prospects for a Palestinian state are "disappearing." Both are members of the Elders, a group of former political leaders and Nobel Prize laureates founded in 2007 by Nelson Mandela. They recently completed a tour through Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and occupied West Bank. They point to Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank and incitement to violence against Palestinians by Netanyahu government ministers. The UN recorded over 760 settler violence incidents in the West Bank from January to May 2026.
- Robinson and Clark: Palestinian statehood prospects 'disappearing'
- UN counts over 760 settler violence incidents in West Bank in five months
- Netanyahu government approved over 100 new settlements in West Bank
- Smotrich and Ben-Gvir sanctioned by Australia, UK, Canada, New Zealand
- International Court of Justice ruled Israeli occupation unlawful; Netanyahu rejects decision
What We Know
Mary Robinson and Helen Clark, members of the Elders—a group of former political leaders and Nobel Prize laureates founded in 2007 by Nelson Mandela—completed a tour this week through Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and occupied West Bank.
At the end of this visit, the two women warned that prospects for a Palestinian state are 'disappearing.' Robinson was Ireland's first president (serving from 1990 to 1997); Clark was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008.
They point to the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and incitement to violence against Palestinians as the primary factors behind their concerns. They specifically name Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
On the Ground: 'Systemic' Violence
Robinson describes the situation in the West Bank as 'far worse' than during her last visit in 2023, before Hamas's October 7 attacks. She describes violence that has become 'systemic,' fueled by official hate speech and complicity between military forces and settlers.
Robinson and Clark visited the Palestinian village of Deir Nizam, northwest of Ramallah, in the West Bank. Two of the three access roads had been arbitrarily blocked by Israelis, and the roads were lined with Israeli flags.
The Numbers
760+
Settler violence incidents in West Bank from January to May 2026, approximately 6 per day (UN)
100+
New settlements approved in West Bank by Netanyahu government during its latest term
Context
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and East Jerusalem is unlawful. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the decision, calling it a 'decision of lies.'
Smotrich has repeatedly called for the annexation of the West Bank. The U.S. president has said he will not authorize it. However, legal experts and Palestinian advocates point to de facto annexation already underway through land seizures, road closures, and retention of tax revenues collected for the Palestinian Authority—the governmental entity that administers Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in areas defined by the 1995 Oslo Accords II.
Smotrich and Ben-Gvir have been sanctioned by several countries for their rhetoric and policies toward Palestinians: Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand.
What Remains Uncertain
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