LONDON, 21 Sept. - (ANA) - The recognition of Palestine as a state is a controversial issue - especially among Western countries - with many facing growing pressure to recognise it as part of a pathway to a solution to the war in Gaza.

 

While Washington has recognised the Palestinian Authority (which governs parts of the West Bank under Israeli occupation), it has stopped short of recognising an actual state. Donald Trump, who has continued the US's strong support of Israel, remains opposed to the idea.

 

The US leader said during his recent two-day state visit to the UK that he has "a disagreement with the prime minister on that score".

 

A number of European nations do not recognise Palestine, include Andorra and Austria, as well as Denmark, Finland, Germany and Italy. Nor do Japan and South Korea.

 

And while France, Canada and Australia currently do not, they have all stated they plan to change that and recognise Palestinian in September alongside the UK.

 

Germany has said it will support a UN resolution for a two-state solution but does not think the time has come to recognise a Palestinian state.

 

In the face of growing calls for it to change its position, Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed earlier in September that Germany would not join Canada, Australia, and France in their plans to recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly.

 

Japanese media reported this week that Tokyo would likely not follow the UK and others in order to preserve US ties.

 

 

 

 

Palestine is currently recognised as a state by the vast majority of countries. The UN itself has given it "permanent observer state", which means it can participate but has no voting rights.

 

Europe is more split than any other political entity on the issue.

 

Seven current EU countries had already recognised Palestine before joining the union: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Poland and Slovakia.

 

Sweden, Slovenia, Ireland and Spain have also recognised Palestine.

 

Several countries have said they will recognise Palestinian Statehood at the next UN General Assembly in September, including Australia, France, Japan, Canada and the UK. Malta, Belgium and Luxembourg have also said they planned to recognise Palestine.

 

Most countries in South America, Africa and Asia supported Palestine state shortly after it declared itself a state in 1988.

 

However, several nations in the Asia-Pacific region have refrained from extending recognition, including major Western allies such as Australia, Japan and South Korea. Experts have suggested that this is due to the influence of the United States.

 

Palestine is also recognised by the Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City.

 

All this means that, once the UK, Australia, France and Canada make the move, only five countries in the powerful G20 would not recognise it: the US, Japan, South Korea, Italy and Germany.

 

 

 

 

Under the Montevideo Convention of 1933, there are several criteria that need to be met in order for a state to be "recognised". These include: having a permanent population; a defined territory; an effective government and international relations and formal diplomatic processes including embassies, ambassadors and treaties.

 

Explaining what recognition would mean legally, Professor Alexander Orakhelashvili, from the University of Birmingham, said: "In terms of international law, Palestine is already a State within the pre-1967 borders.

 

"Statehood depends not as much on factual control of the relevant territory by a political entity, as on that entity’s legal entitlement to exercise sovereignty within that territory.

 

"As such, recognition is a concept of a somewhat dubious origin and scope. It is not a criterion for statehood; it does not create a State, and its lack does not take the legally existing statehood away."

 

He said given how many states had recognised Palestine as a state, the political consequences of France and Britain recognising it as a state would be the "continuing increase in the number of political stakeholders who consider Palestine to be a State, and a decrease in the number of those stakeholders who do not consider it to be a State".

 

According to commentary by Dr Julie Norman, posted on the RUSI website, in reality recognition may not have significant practical impact, but would "better position Palestinians for any future talks by changing the long-accepted sequence of setting statehood as an endpoint rather than a starting point".   - (ANA) - 

 

AB/ANA/21 September 2025 - - -