Leading article: Palestinian state of mind

The whirlwind of change sweeping the Middle East makes the paralysis of the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks all the more striking. So the Palestinian plan to seek recognition of statehood at the United Nations next month is to be fully endorsed.

Israel and the United States insist that Palestinian statehood should come through a bilateral peace deal. Yet that road is blocked. While a UN recognition would be symbolic (coming, as it would, from the General Assembly and not the Security Council), it has the potential to give the Palestinians some leverage in talks and greater moral authority.

If there is to be a two-state solution to this conflict, let there first be two internationally recognised states.