After the decision of Spain and
Ireland (along with Norway) the number of EU countries to
recognize a state of Palestine has risen to 9. At the UN level,
according to the NPC, this position has been taken by 70 percent
of members: 142 out of 193. Italy and the United States are not
among them.
* EUROPE - Sweden was the first EU country to take this step,
in 2014, at the height of months of clashes between Israelis and
Palestinians in East Jerusalem. The State of Palestine had
already been recognized by Bulgaria, Cyprus, Hungary, Poland,
Romania, then Czechoslovakia, when they were in the orbit of the
USSR (but after splitting with Slovakia, the Czech Republic took
a step back). Today, in the wake of the Israeli offensive in
Gaza, support for Palestinian statehood has come from Norway
(which is not part of the EU), Ireland, and Spain.
Malta recognizes the Palestinians' right to statehood but not
formally the State of Palestine, although last March it said it
was ready to take that step, as did Slovenia, "when
circumstances are right."For Emmanuel Macron, the issue of
recognizing a Palestinian state without a negotiated peace is
"no longer a taboo for France," although Paris is not currently
leaning toward doing so.As for Italy, it believes that this
solution should be reached through negotiations between Israelis
and Palestinians.A position shared with the United States.
* REST OF THE WORLD - Almost all of Asia, Africa and Latin
America formally recognize the Palestinian state.Algeria was the
first country, in 1988, after the unilateral proclamation of a
state entity by then PLO leader Yasser Arafat.After a few weeks,
dozens of countries followed suit: much of the Arab world,
India, Turkey, much of Africa. In 2010-2011 a number of South
American countries joined in, including Argentina, Brazil and
Chile.
In November 2012, the Palestinian flag was raised for the
first time at the United Nations in New York after the General
Assembly voted overwhelmingly to elevate the Palestinians'
status to "non-member observer state."On May 10, the Assembly
voted on a resolution affirming that Palestine is "qualified to
become a member state" with 143 votes in favor, 25 abstentions
(including Italy) and nine against, including the US.Washington,
as well as Rome, still maintains diplomatic relations with the
Palestinian National Authority, along with Canada, Japan, South
Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
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