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Short answer
After the formation of Israel, from 1948 to 1967, Jordan controlled the West Bank and Egypt controlled Gaza. Did they give the Palestinians a state? Not even close. They occupied the land and used the issue as a political weapon against Israel. Only when Israel took it in ’67 did the world suddenly start screaming for a “Palestinian state.” At this point, it seems the issue is less about Palestinians gaining statehood and more about opposing Jews having a state of their own — Israel.
Long answer
After Israel’s creation in 1948, Jordan annexed the West Bank and Egypt controlled Gaza, but neither country made any serious move to establish a Palestinian state. Instead, both nations used these territories for their own strategic interests. Egypt’s control over Gaza was characterized by the imposition of a military governor, and Palestinians there were denied basic political rights, kept stateless and under harsh Egyptian rule. Similarly, Jordan’s annexation of the West Bank was not widely accepted internationally; it was recognized only by a few countries and was generally considered illegal by the global community.
Neither Egypt nor Jordan granted the Palestinian population full citizenship or any meaningful autonomy. In Gaza, Egyptians exercised tight control, and in the West Bank, Jordanians treated the Palestinian population largely as subjects to be managed rather than as citizens with rights. This lack of statehood and self-determination was part of a broader Arab political strategy. The Palestinian issue was often used as a tool to rally support against Israel, but the creation of a Palestinian state was never a priority for either Egypt or Jordan.
The whole focus was on Arab unity and resisting Israel, with Palestinian nationalism completely sidelined. It wasn’t until Israel took the West Bank and Gaza in 1967—after the Six-Day War—that the world suddenly started calling for a Palestinian state. They used the issue as a political tool in their rivalry with Israel. Once Israel controlled those areas, that’s when the push for Palestinian statehood kicked in, and the international community finally started to care.
