​​​​​​​ THE HAGUE Thirty-six years ago, former Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat declared the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in Algeria, establishing a pivotal moment in the Palestinian quest for recognized statehood. Legal scholars point out that Arafat’s declaration was instrumental in securing recognition of Palestine as a state by 146 countries. Widely viewed as the most significant step toward Palestinian statehood, the declaration underscored the