In a striking op-ed published Monday in the Wall Street Journal, former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Western nations to delay formal recognition of a Palestinian state, arguing that the humanitarian and security crises in Gaza demand immediate attention before political solutions are pursued.

Blinken, who stepped down earlier this year, criticized the timing of recent moves by France, the UK, Canada, and Australia to recognize Palestinian statehood at the upcoming UN General Assembly. 

“With the Gaza crisis still unfolding, this focus on recognition seems totally beside the more pressing realities,” he wrote. “Talk of two states can wait”.

He emphasized that the priority should be averting famine, securing the release of Israeli hostages, and ending the conflict in Gaza. 

Blinken acknowledged that Israel had achieved two of its three stated war goals—crippling Hamas militarily and eliminating key figures behind the October 7 attacks—but warned that full occupation of Gaza would not guarantee the third: freeing hostages.

While Blinken affirmed the moral legitimacy of Palestinian self-determination, he cautioned against unconditional recognition. 

“Failing to require that Palestinians commit to steps to ensure Israel’s security in return for recognition would fortify proponents of terror on the Palestinian side and rejectionists of Palestinian statehood on the Israeli side,” he argued.

Instead, Blinken proposed a time-bound, conditions-based roadmap toward recognition, one that would include demilitarization of Gaza, exclusion of Hamas from governance, and international support for civil administration under the Palestinian Authority. He suggested that such a framework could also pave the way for normalization between Israel and Arab states, including Saudi Arabia.

The op-ed comes amid growing international pressure on the U.S. to take a firmer stance on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where tens of thousands have been killed and famine looms. Blinken’s remarks reflect a nuanced shift from his earlier support for a two-state solution, underscoring the complexity of balancing diplomacy with on-the-ground realities.