Now that the UN boosted the Palestinian status to “non-member observer state,” what does this mean for Big Media descriptions of the new-and-improved Palestinian entity?
The Daily Telegraph‘s Alex Spillius lists the possible references, but finds shortcomings in them all.
Palestine: “There has in fact never been a nation state called Palestine. The Holy Land has rather been a region or province under Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and British rule, to name but a few.”
The Palestinian Territories: Frequently used now, but doesn’t reflect new status.
Occupied Palestinian Territories: “arguably inaccurate, since Gaza has not been occupied by Israel since 2005.”
The Palestinian Authority: Only controls the West Bank.
The Palestinians: Used excessively.
Palestine (again): In 1974, permanent observer status was actually granted to the PLO, not Palestine. And besides, with Hamas and the PA bitterly divided and entrenched in their Gaza/West Bank fiefdoms, Spillius has to ask:
If those two groups cannot reconcile in the interests of peace, do they merit being commonly described as a single entity?
(Image via YouTube/km1253)
