GAZA IS IN the grip of an incipient famine, amid a futile war that neither Hamas nor Israel appears ready to end. In an attempt to highlight the suffering of the Palestinians, stop the fighting and save the idea of two countries for two peoples, Britain and France have in recent days both taken decisive steps towards the recognition of a Palestinian state. The Economist wholeheartedly shares those aims, but we doubt that recognition will further them—indeed, we worry that recognition on the terms set out by Britain and France could get in the way.
