More than three-quarters of UN member countries now recognize Palestine. This Tuesday, Spain, Ireland and Norway took the plunge, provoking the ire of Israel which continues to wage a major war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Although a large majority of countries in the world do indeed recognize Palestine, its sovereignty is nevertheless the subject of fierce debate and many countries have still not recognized it in Europe and North America. 20 minutes invites you to immerse yourself in the status of Palestine thanks to five maps.
The top of the cards
In Europe, Spain, Ireland and Norway – two of which are members of the EU – believe that this decision could lead other states to join them. Slovenia should also recognize the State of Palestine soon but the question continues to tear the old continent apart.
Shortly before Spain, Ireland and Norway, four Caribbean countries (Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and the Bahamas) recognized Palestine. But in North America, the issue is causing a stir, with Washington being Israel’s most powerful ally. In mid-April, the United States blocked Palestine’s entry into the UN, where the country is today only an independent observer.
In total, 145 countries out of the 193 UN member states recognize the Palestinian state. In 1988, a few months after the first Intifada, the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Yasser Arafat, announced “the establishment of the State of Palestine”, choosing Jerusalem as its capital. In the months that followed, the vast majority of African countries recognized Palestine.
Same thing for a large part of the Asian continent, which in turn recognizes the State of Palestine. South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand (the last two being in Oceania, outside the scope of the map), countries often associated with the West, no. Canberra, however, raised the hypothesis in April.
Finally, mainly in the early 2010s, most Central and Latin American countries follow. They thus mark their distance on the international scene with the United States which continues to support Tel Aviv.
Israel is worried about a possible “domino effect” as the recognition of the Palestinian state by three European countries provokes debates even in France. If in February, Emmanuel Macron had assured that the question was “not a taboo”, the presidential camp is however sparing the goat and the cabbage. If the head of the list for the Europeans, Valérie Hayer, assured that the “conditions are not met”, the number two of the majority nevertheless spoke out for recognition. The subject therefore remains polarizing even if more and more countries recognize Palestine.