Alan Dershowitz Lays Out Conditions Palestinians Must Meet To Earn Their Own State

Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz said Monday that Palestinians have not met the basic requirements necessary to earn their own state.

As of September 2025, around 156 of the 193 United Nations member states recognize Palestine as a sovereign state. Appearing on “The Record with Greta Van Susteren,” Dershowitz said Palestinians must earn a state through long-term governance and institution-building, insisting that no such outcome is possible while terrorism, Hamas, and the current Palestinian leadership remain in place.

“They have to earn a state the way the Jewish people earned a state over hundreds of years of state building. And you can’t just create a state out of nothing. And maybe someday there’ll be a Palestinian state, but it can be a state without terrorists, without Hamas,” Dershowitz said. “And without the current Palestinian leadership. So I think it’s a possible dream for the future, but it’s not a reality in my lifetime.”

Dershowitz said speculation about a future Palestinian leader does not change his view that Palestinians have not met the requirements to earn a state.

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“Well, there are all kinds of rumors about this guy, [Marwan] Barghouti, who’s in prison. Maybe he’ll get out and become the great, great hope, the great leader. Look, Palestinians haven’t earned themselves a state,” Dershowitz added. (RELATED: Watch Pro-Palestine Protesters Fight Cops As Strikes Hit Multiple Italian Cities)

An October survey reported growing public backing for Washington to formally acknowledge a Palestinian state as public opinion toward Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has turned more negative. The Reuters/Ipsos poll reported that 59% of Americans back recognition, including 41% of Republicans and 80% of Democrats.

Meanwhile, several Western governments have moved toward recognizing a Palestinian state, with Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and France signaling support at the United Nations General Assembly in September. Despite those developments, an Emerson College poll released Oct. 17 found that Americans generally approve of how President Donald Trump has handled negotiations between Hamas and Israel.

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