According to Deutsche Welle, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government have persistently criticized these moves, arguing that recognizing a Palestinian state could potentially reward terrorism. Despite this opposition, a significant majority of countries worldwide already acknowledge the Palestinian territories as a state. On May 11, 2024, 143 out of 193 UN General Assembly members supported a resolution to recognize Palestinian statehood.
Palestine currently holds non-member observer status at the UN, and full membership can only be granted by the UN Security Council. In April 2024, the United States, wielding veto power, blocked a draft resolution recommending full membership for Palestine. Recent developments in 2024 saw the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Barbados acknowledging the Palestinian territories as a state. Mexico, having expressed full support for Palestinian statehood in June 2023, subsequently established a full embassy in the Palestinian territories.
Colombia recognized Palestine as a sovereign nation in 2018, a move made just before the conclusion of President Juan Manuel Santos’s term. In light of the Israeli offensive on Gaza, Colombia, which exported $1 billion in goods to Israel in 2023, has since reduced its political and economic ties with Israel. President Gustavo Petro severed relations with Israel and recently ordered the opening of an embassy in Ramallah, located in the occupied West Bank.
The United States, Canada, Australia, and numerous Western European states, along with allies Japan and South Korea, have historically supported an independent Palestinian state coexisting with Israel. However, many have stipulated that recognition should occur within a comprehensive peace agreement framework. This stance has shifted since the onset of the ongoing conflict in Gaza in 2023. Ireland, Norway, and Spain recognized Palestinian statehood in 2024, citing Israel’s actions in the conflict as a catalyst.
In 2025, France became the first G7 country to announce its intention to recognize Palestinian statehood, followed by Canada, Malta, Australia, Portugal, and Belgium. Hugh Lovatt, a senior policy fellow and Middle East expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, had anticipated that Portugal and Belgium might join France. He also suggested that Denmark and Luxembourg could be potential European countries to watch. Lovatt noted that Germany, a stalwart supporter of Israel within the EU, is unlikely to alter its position soon, stating, “Well, never say never, but I think the Germans have made it very clear that they will be amongst the last to recognize the state of Palestine.”