This year, as Israel continues its war on Gaza, nine countries – Armenia, Slovenia, Ireland, Norway, Spain, the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados – have officially recognized the State of Palestine, reflecting growing international support.
On November 29, the world celebrates the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, a day established by the United Nations in 1977 to highlight global support for Palestinian rights, including self-determination, independence and a just solution to the question of Palestinian refugees.
Recognition of Palestine strengthens its global standing, improves its ability to hold Israeli authorities accountable for the occupation, and puts pressure on Western powers to act towards the two-state solution.
Which countries recognize Palestine?
Currently, at least 146 UN member states recognize the State of Palestine, as does the Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City, which holds observer status to the ‘UN.
These countries are listed in the map and table below:
A Brief History of Palestinian Recognition
On November 15, 1988, at the start of the first Intifada, Yasser Arafat, president of the Palestine Liberation Organization, proclaimed Palestine as an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Following this announcement, more than 80 countries recognized Palestine as an independent state, with strong support from countries in the South, including countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Arab world.
Most European countries that recognized Palestine at that time did so as part of the former Soviet bloc.
A few years later, on September 13, 1993, the first direct talks between Palestinians and Israelis resulted in the signing of the Oslo Accords, supposed to result in 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 12 more countries between 2000 and 2010 – mostly from Africa and South America.
In 2011, all African countries except Eritrea and Cameroon recognized Palestine.
In 2012, the General Assembly voted by an overwhelming majority (138 for, 9 against, 41 abstentions) to change Palestine’s status to a “non-member observer state”, and in 2014, Sweden became the first country to Western Europe to recognize Palestine.
More European countries recognize Palestine
On May 22, 2024, Norway, Ireland and Spain successively announced that they would recognize Palestine according to the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as their capital.
In response, Israel recalled its ambassadors from the three European countries and promised to expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank as punishment.
On June 4, Slovenia became the last European country to recognize a Palestinian state.
Other European countries, Malta and Belgium, are discussing whether and when to recognize a Palestinian state.
None of the G7 countries – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom or the United States – do so.