The more than seven-month war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, triggered by the October 7 attack on Israeli territory, has revived calls for recognition of the Palestinian state.
According to the Palestinian Authority’s count, 142 countries out of the 193 UN member states have expressed their recognition of the Palestinian state. Four Caribbean countries (Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and the Bahamas) are the latest countries to join this list, from which most countries in Western Europe and North America are absent, Australia, Japan and even South Korea.
“The establishment of the State of Palestine”
On November 15, 1988, a few months after the start of the first Intifada (Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation), the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Yasser Arafat proclaimed himself, in Algiers, “the establishment of the State of Palestine”, with Jerusalem as its capital, from the platform of the Palestinian National Council (CNP) which serves as Parliament in exile. A few minutes later, Algeria officially recognized the new state proclaimed by Arafat. A week later, forty countries, including China, India, Turkey and most Arab countries, have already taken the same step. Almost all the countries of the African continent and the Soviet bloc will follow.
In 2010 and 2011 mainly, it will be the turn of most of the countries of Central America and Latin America, thus marking the distance on the international scene with the United States, Israel’s great ally.
2012, one foot in the UN
Under the presidency of Mahmoud Abbas, successor to Arafat (died in 2004), the Palestinian Authority established by the Oslo Accords (1993) on Palestinian autonomy launched a diplomatic offensive at the level of international institutions.
By a historic vote in November 2012, Palestine obtained the status of observer state at the United Nations, which, in the absence of full member status with voting rights, gives it access to UN agencies. and international treaties. Building on this status, the Palestinians will join the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2015. The United States and Israel denounce this decision.
2014, Sweden pioneer in the EU
In 2014, Sweden became the first EU country to recognize the State of Palestine, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus having done so before joining the European Union. In a joint effort, Spain, Ireland and Norway decided on Wednesday to follow in Sweden’s footsteps.
Learn more about Hamas
On the French side, Emmanuel Macron reached a milestone in February, believing that “the recognition of a Palestinian state does not[était] not a taboo for France.” Finally, remember that in mid-April, the United States used its right of veto in the UN Security Council to block a resolution aimed at making Palestine a full member state of the organization. international.