Ricardo Mohrez Muvdi: What is the secret behind the avalanche of recognitions of the State of Palestine?
Thursday, 4 September 2025 () Amyra El Khalili, special to Pravda.Ru, interviews Ricardo Mohrez Muvdi, president of the Palestinian Union of Latin America (UPAL). Ricardo Mohrez Muvdi is a Palestinian, born in Beir-Jala, Palestine (1952). A refugee in Colombia, he is a business administrator and president of the Palestinian Union of Latin America (UPAL), created in 2019 in the city of San Salvador, El Salvador, Central America.UPAL is a regional organization founded by Latin American associations and entities to strengthen the unity of Palestinian communities in Latin America and to support the Palestinian cause in all its aspects. The organization promotes solidarity among peoples, fosters cultural, political and humanitarian activities, and works to defend the rights of the Palestinian people. With an active presence in several countries, its mission is to consolidate a strong and united Latin American voice in the struggle for justice, peace and freedom for Palestine. In the past month, however, a wave of countries — Spain, Norway, Ireland, Slovenia, among others — announced with much fanfare the recognition of the State of Palestine. For some, this represents a historic milestone; for others, a moral victory after decades of occupation and suffering. But behind these diplomatic gestures lies a much more complex strategy. To better understand what these hidden interests are, we spoke with Ricardo Mohrez Muvdi in this exclusive interview for Pravda.Ru. Here is the interview:PRAVDA.RU – The question is inevitable: what are the real interests behind this sudden avalanche of recognitions? A Palestinian State… or a way out for the West? Ricardo Mohrez Muvdi – First of all, we must understand that these recognitions do not come out of nowhere. They occur in the midst of a genocidal war against Gaza, in which Israel failed in its attempt to eliminate Palestinian resistance, particularly Hamas. Neither with bombs, nor with starvation, nor with forced displacements has it managed to subjugate a people who resist with dignity. Faced with this failure, the West — especially the United States and Europe — seeks a "Plan B." It can no longer sustain the narrative that Israel is “defending itself.” It needs to offer an alternative that maintains political control, neutralizes the resistance, and calms domestic social pressure. That is where the recognition of the “Palestinian State” comes in. But there is a catch: the recognized State has no borders, no army, no sovereignty over its territory. It does not control its airspace or its seas. It cannot guarantee the security of its citizens nor does it possess political unity. It is, in essence, an administrative phantom under occupation. And that is not a real State. PRAVDA.RU – Is this a makeover for Europe? Do these recognitions also serve to cleanse Europe’s conscience? Ricardo Mohrez Muvdi – After months of complicity in the genocide — whether through silence, military support, or sanctions directed against the resistance — they now try to balance the scales with a symbolic gesture. They talk about “two States” as if it were still a viable option, when, in reality, Israel has fragmented and colonized the territory so much that such a formula has become impracticable. A “Palestinian State” is recognized, but Israel is not sanctioned, arms sales are not halted, and settlement expansion is not stopped. In other words, a diplomatic solution is legitimized without altering the material conditions of the occupation. PRAVDA.RU – And if the real objective is to replace the resistance? Ricardo Mohrez Muvdi – Another worrying element is who is being recognized. Most of these countries continue to consider the Palestinian Authority as the “legitimate government” of the Palestinian people, despite its lack of representativeness, internal corruption, and collaboration with the occupation. We are witnessing an attempt to reorganize Palestinian leadership from the outside, excluding resistance movements such as Hamas or Islamic Jihad. PRAVDA.RU – So the goal would be to create an artificial and obedient State that administers the occupation without questioning it? Ricardo Mohrez Muvdi – If that is the case, the avalanche of recognitions would be less a demonstration of solidarity and more a geopolitical maneuver to neutralize the struggle of the Palestinian people. PRAVDA.RU – Could this be the trap of the fictitious State? Ricardo Mohrez Muvdi – There is a huge risk that the world will begin to speak of Palestine as a “recognized State” when, in practice, it remains an occupied, colonized and blockaded nation. This legal fiction can be used to freeze the conflict, neutralize international complaints, and blame the victims themselves for their situation. In that scenario, the Palestinian cause would cease to be a legitimate anti-colonial struggle and would be reduced to a bureaucratic dispute between “two governments.” History is erased, apartheid is made invisible, and the voices of the martyrs are silenced. PRAVDA.RU – What would be the consequences of these merely diplomatic actions? Ricardo Mohrez Muvdi – The avalanche of recognitions is neither free, nor disinterested, nor revolutionary. It is part of a global political realignment in the face of the moral erosion of the West and the rise of Palestinian resistance. It may be diplomatically useful, yes, but we must not be deceived: true liberation will not come from foreign ministries, but from the determination of the Palestinian people — in Gaza, in the West Bank, in exile and in the diaspora. PRAVDA.RU – And what is your conclusion? Ricardo Mohrez Muvdi – As long as the Zionist occupation regime is not dismantled, no recognition will be complete. And as long as blood continues to flow in Gaza, no symbolic gesture will be enough. Text Editing: Alexandre Rocha Amyra El Khalili is a Palestinian-Brazilian professor, economist and editor of the networks Women’s Movement for Peace in Palestine and RECOs Alliance – Alliance of Community Cooperation Networks from the Global South.
Thursday, 4 September 2025 ()
