The world should wait no longer to formally recognise the State of Palestine. This is not about sentiment or symbolism. It is about urgent, necessary action to rescue a peace process on life support. Recognition is a critical diplomatic tool to shift a stagnant and increasingly dangerous status quo.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has persisted for more than seven decades. Millions of Palestinians remain under occupation or in refugee camps, with no political horizon in sight. The absence of a credible path to statehood has created a vacuum filled with despair — and, increasingly, radicalisation. Recognition of Palestine can begin to reverse this dynamic. It is the last nonviolent lever left to pull.

To be clear: recognition is not about punishing Israel or granting Palestinians an unearned victory. It is a necessary political step to reintroduce the possibility of a negotiated peace. It empowers diplomacy and offers Palestinians a stake in a future built on governance, not resistance.

Today, the Israeli Government has openly abandoned even the pretence of supporting a two-state solution. With more than half a million settlers in the West Bank and growing momentum towards annexation, the infrastructure of permanent occupation is nearly complete. Waiting for Israeli political will before recognising Palestine is unrealistic and dangerous. It risks signalling tacit approval for further annexation and condemning the region to unending conflict.

Recognition is the only way to preserve what remains of hope for a two-state solution — the only framework that can provide sustainable security for both Palestinians and Israelis and enable Israel’s full integration into the region. This is not just about Palestinian rights; it is also about Israeli security. A viable two-state outcome is a strategic imperative for the region.

Recognition cannot wait for a “perfect moment” that will never come. Every act of recognition builds the institutional and psychological foundation of Palestinian sovereignty, making the idea of statehood more concrete and harder to erase.

Recent recognitions by Norway, Ireland and Spain have added vital momentum to a long-stalled diplomatic process. These governments deserve credit for reinforcing the growing international consensus that a Palestinian state is both necessary and inevitable. Their example should encourage others to follow.

Saudi Arabia is playing a pivotal role. The kingdom is acting in the long-term interests of both Palestinians and Israelis — and working towards a stable, prosperous and integrated region. Riyadh is seeking partners in this effort and signalling clearly that peace, not paralysis, is the goal.

France has been a critical partner. A United Nations conference on the two-state solution, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, was supposed to kick off on Tuesday, but it has been postponed because of the war between Iran and Israel. But the conference will not be postponed indefinitely. Indeed, President Emmanuel Macron has indicated that he is as committed as ever to the full recognition of a Palestinian state.

Recognition matters because it reshapes the internal Palestinian dialogue. It empowers reformers, weakens extremists and gives moderate leaders a goal worth pursuing. It sends a clear signal that the world has not given up on a peaceful outcome — and that diplomacy remains viable.

Recognition alone will not end the conflict. But it would reopen a door that has long been shut. It is not a symbolic act — it is a strategic necessity. It would put an end to creeping annexation and preserve the last chance for a peaceful resolution. Waiting for better timing or more favourable leadership is not only naive — it is reckless, as the tragedy in Gaza has made painfully clear.

Recognising a Palestinian state is the last peaceful card the world has left to play. It must be played — before the entire table collapses.

• Ali Shihabi is a Saudi author and commentator and member of the advisory board of the new Saudi region of Neom planned by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman