by Abdul HAQ
The truth Bertrand Russell prophesied in his final political statement in January 1970 — “The Palestinian refugees have every right to the homeland from which they were driven, and the denial of this right is at the heart of the continuing conflict” — recurrences with even more urgency today. As the world witnesses an unprecedented wave of Palestinian state recognition during the current UN General Assembly sessions, these statements, made to an International Conference of Parliamentarians in Cairo just days after his death, are just as apt in 2025 as they were more than 50 years ago.
The Moral Foundation and Historic Moment of Recognition
Russell revealed a fundamental injustice that still exists in the Middle East through his philosophical precision, which cut through political rhetoric. “No people anywhere in the world would accept being expelled en masse from their own country,” he said, referring to a universal principle of human dignity that cuts across historical contexts and political boundaries. Since 157 nations, or 81 percent of the member states of the UN, have officially recognised Palestinian statehood, the moral clarity of Russell has been reflected in modern international law and diplomatic practice.
There has been a remarkable diplomatic shift during the current session of the UN General Assembly. Following days earlier, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal formally recognised Palestinian statehood, followed by France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, and Andorra in September 2025. This raises the total number of recognising states to about 157 and represents the largest coordinated Western recognition of Palestine in history.
“We have convened here because the moment has arrived,” French President Emmanuel Macron said at the UN, encapsulating the moral imperative behind these decisions. Russell’s earlier realisation that justice for Palestinians need not come at the expense of Israeli security is echoed in his claim that acknowledging Palestinian statehood “takes nothing away from the rights of the people of Israel” while affirming “that the Palestinian people is not a people too many.”
The Legal Foundation: International Law and Palestinian Rights
Russell foresaw in his 1970 statement that a serious breach of international law was the root cause of the Palestinian refugee crisis. This legal basis has solidified into several legally binding frameworks as of right now. “Refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date,” according to UN General Assembly Resolution 194, which was adopted in 1948. The international community has reaffirmed this resolution numerous times, and it is still enforceable.
Human rights law, humanitarian law, refugee law, and the law of nationality are the four distinct bodies of international law that support Palestinian refugees’ right of return. Human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have confirmed that Palestinians who were forced to leave their homeland, as well as their descendants who still have legitimate ties to the region, have an unalienable right to return.
This legal structure has been reinforced by recent resolutions of the UN General Assembly. A resolution in September 2024, backed by 124 states, demanded that Israel leave the occupied Palestinian territories within a year. According to the resolution, Israel must “immediately cease its illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” and give Palestinians back the land and property that it has seized. A resounding international endorsement of Palestinian rights was shown in December 2024 when 158 nations voted for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Russell’s Prescient Analysis and The Contemporary Crisis
Current events provide unsettling confirmation of Russell’s critique of Israeli expansion as an imperial endeavour. He claimed that “Israel has been expanding by force of arms for more than 20 years” and that “every new conquest becomes the new basis of the proposed negotiation from strength, which ignores the injustice of the previous aggression.” Israel is currently carrying out devastating military operations in Gaza that have killed over 65,000 Palestinians, while also extending illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The philosopher’s caution about the perils of using past suffering to excuse current injustices still has a strong hold on people today. “To invoke the horrors of the past to justify those of the present is gross hypocrisy,” Russell contended. As the systematic nature of Israel’s violations of Palestinian rights is increasingly acknowledged by international law, this observation is still pertinent. In its 2024 advisory opinion, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s occupation was unlawful and demanded that it end immediately.
Russell’s vision calls for more than token gestures, even though the recent wave of state recognition represents significant diplomatic progress. UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that Palestinian statehood “is a right, not a concession,” cautioning that regional peace would not be possible without it. 142 UN members have ratified the New York Declaration, which calls for “tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps for the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine.”
The current era presents previously unheard-of chances to promote Palestinian rights. New diplomatic pressure for significant change is generated by Israel’s increasing international isolation, which is demonstrated by the recognition decisions of long-standing allies like the UK and Canada. Furthermore, Palestine now has access to the ICC and other new channels for accountability thanks to its improved standing as an observer state at the UN.
Russell called for “a new world campaign” to “bring justice to the long-suffering people of the Middle East” as he wrapped up his remarks. The extraordinary diplomatic momentum in favour of Palestinian statehood today is a manifestation of that campaign. Major Western nations’ recognition and the UN’s resounding support for Palestinian rights lay the groundwork for Russell’s idea of justice to be put into practice.
As international law increasingly supports Palestinian territorial rights, the philosopher Russell opinion that “justice requires that the first step towards a settlement must be an Israeli withdrawal from all the territories occupied in June, 1967” has taken on new significance. There are tangible ways to put this idea into practice thanks to recent UN resolutions requiring Israel to leave within certain time frames.
Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) was a British philosopher, logician, and mathematician, and a major figure in analytic philosophy. He is internationally renowned for his work in logic, his pacifist activism, and his critique of religious dogma.
Russell was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950 for his diverse writings infused with humanist values.
He made a lasting impact on the 20th century through his rigorous intellect and outspoken nature.
Realising Russell’s Vision
When it comes to the Palestinian issue, Bertrand Russell’s 1970 statement is still a ray of moral clarity. UN resolutions, modern international law, and the expanding international recognition of Palestinian statehood all reflect his belief that Palestinian refugees have “every right to the homeland from which they were driven.”
There has never been a better chance to bring Russell’s vision of justice to fruition than now, with 157 nations recognising Palestine, the UN overwhelmingly supporting Palestinian rights, and international pressure on Israel growing. The philosopher realised that in order to achieve genuine peace in the Middle East, Palestinian rights must be recognised as essential human rights rather than as negotiable political concessions.
Only by applying international law and acknowledging Palestinian statehood as a matter of justice – not charity – could be the tragedy Russell described. . . that Palestinians have been denied their homeland for more than 70 years. . . be resolved. Never before have his last remarks, which demanded “justice to the long-suffering people of the Middle East,” been more pressing or more attainable. The legal structure and diplomatic momentum are now in place for the international community to turn Russell’s moral vision into a political reality.
