Israel’s conflict in Gaza since the October 7 attack has reignited global efforts to establish a Palestinian state. Norway, Spain, and Ireland recently joined other countries in recognizing Palestine, diverging from the long-held Western view that Palestinian statehood should only come through negotiated peace with Israel.
This move, which has angered Israel, means that 145 out of 193 UN member states now recognize Palestine. While many Middle Eastern, African, and Asian countries have recognized Palestine, notable exceptions include the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, Japan, and South Korea. In April, the United States used its veto at the UN Security Council to block a Palestinian bid for full UN membership.
Here is a summary of the Palestinian quest for statehood:
1988: Arafat declares state
On November 15, 1988, during the first Palestinian intifada, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat unilaterally declared an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. He announced in Algiers at a meeting of the exiled Palestinian National Council, which adopted the two-state solution as a goal
Minutes later, Algeria became the first country to recognize an independent Palestinian state officially. Within weeks, dozens of other countries, including much of the Arab world, India, Turkey, most of Africa, and several central and eastern European countries, followed suit.
The next wave of recognitions came in late 2010 and early 2011, amidst a Middle East peace process crisis. South American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, endorsed Palestinian statehood in response to Israel’s decision to end a temporary ban on Jewish settlement building in the occupied West Bank.
2011-2012: UN recognition
In 2011, with peace talks stalled, the Palestinians sought full UN membership for a State of Palestine. The bid failed, but on October 31 of that year, UNESCO voted to accept the Palestinians as a full member. In response, Israel and the United States suspended their funding of UNESCO. The General Assembly later voted to upgrade the status of the Palestinians to “non-member observer state”, and the International Criminal Court accepted Palestine as a state party in 2015.
2014: Sweden leads in Western Europe
In 2014, Sweden became the first EU member in Western Europe to recognize a Palestinian state. This followed months of clashes in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. Earlier, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Romania had recognized Palestine. Israel criticized Sweden’s move, with then Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman telling the Swedes that “relations in the Middle East are a lot more complex than the self-assembly furniture of IKEA.”
2024: Renewed support in Europe
Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in thousands of deaths, has garnered increased support in Europe for Palestinian statehood. After months of warnings, Norway, Spain, and Ireland recently recognized Palestine. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described it as a matter of “historic justice.” Malta and Slovenia have also expressed readiness to recognize a Palestinian state under the right circumstances. Australia and France are also reconsidering their positions on Palestinian statehood.
