On November 29, a group of Palestinians led by Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas held a vote in the UN General Assembly on Palestinian statehood. A yea vote supported the elevation of “Palestine” to a non-member observer state, equaling Vatican City in terms of influence.

The measure passed 138-9, with most notably the U.S. and Israel opposing. In a major embarrassment for Israel, many European nations expected to vote nay, instead abstained.

And so Palestinians celebrated. In the West Bank and Gaza they held celebrations, waving flags and firing guns.

In 1993 Israel and the Palestinians agreed to the Oslo Accords, a treaty that laid the foundations of peace. Brokered by President Clinton, Oslo brought the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel to the negotiating table for the first time. Oslo formed the PA, which currently governs most of the West Bank largely without Israeli oversight.

Why is Oslo relevant? Because it clearly states that any future Palestinian state must be created solely through negotiations between Israel and the PA.

Instead of honoring their previous commitments, the Palestinians have decided to take a unilateral approach to solving the conflict. They have torn the already weak tapestry of peace, leaving only threads of hatred.

Any serious path to peace includes a Palestinian state – I do not debate this. However, Americans cannot support a Palestinian state in this form. Why? Because “Palestine” is ruled by a combination of corrupt autocrats and jihadist anti-American terrorists, and rejects any semblance of peaceful democracy.

When one “Palestine” is ruled by two rival factions, one of which is sworn to Israel’s destruction and the murder of Israeli civilians (Hamas); and the other publicly celebrates suicide bombers (the PA), Israel should feel no great need to make concessions.

When the supposedly moderate faction (once again the PA) steals roughly 40-60 percent of foreign aid and ranks among the most corrupt organizations in the world, Israel should feel no great need to make concessions.

When, according to the Israel Project 72 percent of Palestinians [endorse] the denial of Jewish history in Jerusalem, 62 percent [support] kidnapping IDF soldiers and holding them hostage and 53 percent [are] in favor or teaching songs about hating Jews in Palestinian schools, the world should not support Palestinian statehood.

Perhaps these terrorists are merely freedom fighters resisting the evil, racist, genocidal colonial occupiers? Do freedom fighters use human shields? Do they store weapons and house prisoners in schools, hospitals, and mosques? Do freedom fighters try to maximize their own civilian casualties for propaganda purposes?

Well maybe Hamas is evil, but Israel is just as bad, right? Wrong. While Palestinians fire rockets at civilian communities, Israel uses pinpoint airstrikes to minimize casualties. If Palestinians didn’t store their weapons caches in populated areas those few casualties would be zero.

For example, The Jerusalem Post reports that the civilian casualty ratio of Palestinians is one civilian to every 10 or 28 terrorists, depending on the source. And for comparison, The New York Times reports that the global ratio since the mid-twentieth century has been 10 civilians per militant. Compared to the rest of the world, Israel is at worst 100 times better at minimizing civilian casualties.

Some manage to look past all of this evidence and blindly call for an immediate Palestinian state. But Palestinians have not held elections since 2006, as Hamas and the Fatah, the other Palestinian party which runs the West Bank through the PA, retain their grasps on power.

How can anyone support the creation of a state that – without any regard for Israel of its part in the peace process – would be made up of terrorists and corrupt millionaires who grease their palms with billions of foreign aid.? As well, this proposed state would likely be undemocratic.

After decades of terrorism and rejection of massive Israeli concessions, the Palestinians do not deserve the right to unilaterally dictate the borders of Israel and a future Palestine. Any American, European or Israeli who supports this state is either completely ignoring the facts or is inherently biased against Israel.

The creation of “Palestine” at the United Nations is a disastrous move that threatens the real peace process – direct, bilateral negotiations. Join Israel and the U.S. in opposing it.