RAMALLAH, Palestine/ISTANBUL
Six more countries officially recognized a Palestinian state, in a new push for a two-state solution to the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Luxembourg, Belgium, Andorra, France, Malta, Monaco, and San Marino recognized the state of Palestine on Monday during a high-level summit in New York ahead of the UN General Assembly.
The move came a day after Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal announced recognition, raising the total number of countries recognizing Palestine to 159 out of 193 UN member states since the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat proclaimed the state from Algiers in 1988.
Between July 28 and 30, a UN conference on the two-state solution was co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, with high-level participation, while the US boycotted it. The gathering aimed to advance international recognition of Palestine.
The conference issued the “New York Declaration” on a peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue and the implementation of the two-state solution. It called for recognition of Palestine and granting it full UN membership, instead of its current status as a non-member observer state since 2012.
The declaration also pledged joint efforts “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, reach a just, peaceful and lasting settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the effective implementation of the two-state solution, and build a better future for Palestinians, Israelis and all peoples of the region.”
According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, here is a timeline of countries that have recognized Palestine:
Recognition in 1988
Following Arafat’s declaration of the state of Palestine on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, 83 countries announced recognition.
These included Türkiye, Iran, Algeria, Bahrain, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Somalia, Tunisia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cuba, Jordan, Madagascar, Nicaragua, Pakistan, and Qatar.
The list also included Saudi Arabia, Serbia, the UAE, Zambia, Albania, Brunei Darussalam, Djibouti, Mauritius, Sudan, the Greek Cypriot Administration, Czechia, Egypt, Gambia, India, Nigeria, Seychelles, Slovakia, and Sri Lanka.
It also featured Belarus, Namibia, Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, China, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Comoros, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mongolia, Senegal, Hungary, Cape Verde, North Korea, Niger, Romania, Tanzania, Bulgaria, Maldives, Ghana, Togo, Zimbabwe, Chad, and Laos.
Palestine was also recognized by Sierra Leone, Uganda, the Republic of Congo, Angola, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, Gabon, Oman, Poland, DR Congo, Botswana, Nepal, Burundi, the Central African Republic, and Bhutan.
In the same year, Malta sent a letter to the UN affirming its recognition of the Palestinian people’s right to statehood and welcoming the declaration, but stopped short of formal recognition.
Recognition between 1989–1998
In 1989, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Benin, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Vanuatu and the Philippines recognized Palestine.
In 1991, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) extended recognition, followed by Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992.
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan recognized Palestine in 1994, while Papua New Guinea, South Africa and Kyrgyzstan did so in 1995. Malawi joined in 1998.
Recognition between 2004–2019
Timor-Leste recognized Palestine in 2004, followed by Montenegro in 2006, and Costa Rica, Lebanon and Ivory Coast in 2008.
In 2009, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic announced recognition. In 2010, Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador followed.
In 2011, Chile, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Paraguay, Uruguay, Lesotho, Liberia, South Sudan, Syria, El Salvador, Honduras, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Brazil and Iceland recognized Palestine.
Thailand did so in 2012, followed by Guatemala and Haiti in 2013.
Sweden extended recognition in 2014, followed by the Holy See (Vatican) in 2015, Saint Lucia in 2015, and Colombia and Saint Kitts and Nevis in 2019.
Recognition between 2023–2024
Mexico recognized Palestine in 2023.
In 2024, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, Norway, Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and Armenia extended recognition.
Recognition in 2025
So far this year, Britain, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Luxembourg, Belgium, Andorra, France, Malta, Monaco, and San Marino have recognized Palestine, raising the total to 159 UN states out of 193.
This wave of recognition comes amid Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, which has killed more than 65,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and led to famine.
