Recognition of the State of Palestine: Who stands in support?

Spain, Ireland, Malta, and Slovenia are "prepared to recognize the Palestinian State" and will do so "when it will bring a positive contribution" to the situation in the Middle East. The leaders of the four EU countries announced this at the margins of the Brussels European summit.

In a joint document, Madrid and the others have called for "an immediate ceasefire, which includes the unconditional release of hostages and a massive increase in aid to Gaza." This request is decidedly more explicit than the one put forward by the 27 EU states at the end of the first day of the summit. "We agree that only the two-state solution can bring lasting and stable peace" to the region, added the four European leaders.

Those already recognizing Palestine

Currently, within the EU, the recognition of Palestine as a state within the borders established in 1967 (including the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem) has primarily been by the countries of the former Soviet bloc (Bulgaria, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary), as well as Cyprus and Sweden. In total, these are 8 EU states out of 27. Sweden is the only EU member state to have recognized Palestine while being part of the European Union, while the others extended recognition before joining the bloc.

While the EU collectively advocates for a "two-state solution," which envisions the coexistence of Palestine alongside Israel with Jerusalem as the shared capital, formal recognition of Palestine as a state remains absent. This stance is reiterated in the conclusions of the recent Brussels summit. However, globally, approximately 139 countries, constituting around 70% of UN members, have recognized Palestine.

Spain's pivotal decision could potentially pave the way for other influential European nations to follow suit. France, as recently stated by President Emmanuel Macron, no longer considers the recognition of a Palestinian state as a taboo: "We are ready to contribute, both in Europe and within the UN Security Council." Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni affirmed that "Italy has always reiterated that the Palestinian people have the right to have a state: an independent and secure state," but added that "the precondition (of a possible agreement) is the recognition of the right to exist of the Jewish state and the right of its citizens to live in peace and security."