Palestine has been recognized by 143 UN countries
Last Updated on May 24, 2024 6:25 am
After the Israeli aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip of Palestine started on October 7 last year, support for the Gazans and Palestine has started to increase recently across Europe.
Early in the conflict, most of the US and its allies supported Israel, with the exception of a few Western countries. Spain and Ireland are among them. This time the two countries recognized Palestine as an independent state. Another western country, Norway, has also announced this recognition.
Qatar-based media Al Jazeera reported that 143 countries around the world have recognized Palestine as a state at various times.
At the beginning of the First Intifada on 15 November 1988, Yasser Arafat, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, declared Palestine an independent state, with Jerusalem as its capital.
Yasir Arafat made the announcement from Algiers, the capital of Algeria. Algeria was the first country to officially recognize Palestine.
After Algeria’s recognition, Palestine was recognized as an independent state in the same year by Bahrain, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Somalia, Tunisia, Turkey, Yemen, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cuba, Jordan, Madagascar, Malta, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Zambia, Albania, Brunei, Djibouti, Mauritius, Sudan, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Egypt, Gambia, India, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Namibia, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Vietnam, China, Burkina Faso, Comoros, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cambodia, Mali, Mongolia, Senegal, Hungary, Cape Verde, North Korea, Niger, Romania, Tanzania, Bulgaria, Maldives, Ghana, Togo, Zimbabwe, Chad , Laos, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Republic of Congo, Angola, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, Gabon, Oman, Poland, Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana, Nepal, Burundi, Central African Republic, Bhutan, Western Sahara.
Also in 1989 Rwanda, Ethiopia, Iran, Benin, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, Vanuatu, Philippines, 1991 Iswatini, 1992 Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1994 Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Papua New Guinea, 1995 South Africa, Kyrgyzstan and Malawi recognized Palestine as a state in 1998.
East Timor in 2004, Paraguay in 2005, Montenegro in 2006, Costa Rica, Lebanon, Ivory Coast in 2008, Venezuela, Dominican Republic in 2009 and Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador in 2010 recognized Palestine.
In 2011, Palestine was recognized as a state by Iceland, Chile, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Lesotho, South Sudan, Syria, Liberia, El Salvador, Honduras, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada.
Thailand in 2012, Guatemala, Haiti, Vatican City in 2013, Sudan in 2014 as the first country in Western Europe, Saint Lucia in 2015, Colombia in 2018, Saint Kitts and Nevis in 2019 and Mexico in 2023 recognized Palestine as a state.
Countries that have recognized Palestine this year include the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados, Spain, Ireland and Norway.
Meanwhile, Slovenia, Malta and Belgium have also said they are considering recognizing Palestine as an independent state.