Middle East: Towards Statehood

On June 26, 2011, against a shifting regional landscape, the Palestinian Liberation Organisation announced its decision to seek recognition of statehood at the United Nations (UN) along the 1967 borders, with the right of return for refugees. Whether a historical moment of transformative change or simply another act on the sometimes farcical stage of Palestinian leadership, the effects of this announcement will reach far beyond September, when the General Assembly is due to consider the request.