French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that France is expected to recognize the Palestinian state within months and could make a move aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at a UN conference held in New York in June.
He added that several Middle Eastern countries can formally recognize Israel’s condition. Palestinian authorities welcomed the announcement as “a step in the right direction.”
Amid Israel’s ongoing war with Gaza, the state of Palestine has officially been recognized by the decade – Mexico, Armenia, Slovenia, Ireland, Norway, Spain, the Bahamas, Trinidad and Barbados – reflecting the growing international support.
Recognizing that Palestine will strengthen its global position, pressure Western countries to improve their ability to hold Israeli authorities accountable for their occupation and act on the two states’ solutions.
Which countries recognize Palestine?
Currently, Palestine is recognized as a sovereign state by 147 193 UN member states, accounting for 75% of the international community. It is also recognized by the Catholic Church and the governing body of the Vatican city, the Holy Sea and the Holy See, which hold the status of the UN observer.
These countries are listed in the maps and tables below.
A brief history of Palestine recognition
On November 15th, 1988, during the early days of the first Intifada, Jaser Arafat, chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Agency, declared Palestine as an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Since the announcement, over 80 countries have recognized Palestine as an independent nation and have received strong support from the southern part of the world, including countries from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Arab world.
Most European countries that recognized Palestine during this time did so as part of the former Soviet bloc.
A few years later, on September 13, 1993, the first in-person meeting between the Palestinians and Israelis led to the signing of the Oslo Agreement, which was to bring about Palestinian self-determination in the form of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. This was never achieved.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, nearly 20 countries recognized Palestine, followed by a further 12 countries between 2000 and 2010.
By 2011, all African countries except Eritrea and Cameroon recognized Palestine.
In 2012, the General Assembly voted for the overwhelming majority (138, in favor, 9 against nine, 41 absent), changing the Palestine status to “non-member observer states,” and in 2014 Sweden became the first Western Europe to recognize Palestine.
More European countries that recognize Palestine
On May 22, 2024, Norway, Ireland and Spain announced in a row that they have recognized Palestine as their capital, following their pre-1967 border with Jerusalem before 1967.
In response, Israel recalled the ambassadors of three European countries and promised to expand the occupied West Bank illegal settlements as punishment.
On June 4th, Slovenia became the latest European country to recognize the Palestinian state.
Other European countries, such as Malta and Belgium, are debating whether and when to recognize Palestinian states.
There are no G7 countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, or the US.
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