Before the recognition announced today by Spain, Ireland, and Norway (which is not part of the European Union), Sweden was the only EU country to have recognized the Palestinian State in 2014. Other countries such as Malta, Cyprus, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria had done so before becoming EU members. In 1999, the European Union expressed readiness to recognize a Palestinian State in due time, as stated in the conclusions of the Berlin European Council.
The French Foreign Minister, Stéphane Séjourné, stated that the recognition of the Palestinian State is not a taboo, but it is not the right time for it. Séjourné highlighted that the French government believes there are not the necessary conditions at the moment for this decision to have a real impact on the two-state solution process. He emphasized that the decision must be useful to allow a decisive step forward politically and should be adopted at the right time for a significant before and after effect.
In Italy, the Vice Premier and Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, stated that Italy will recognize Palestine when Palestine recognizes Israel. Tajani mentioned that Italy will meet with the President of the Palestinian Authority and open a pathway that cannot be based solely on recognizing Palestine without Israel’s recognition of the Palestinian State and vice versa. There is also a concern about recognizing a state led by Hamas without first understanding what the Palestinian State entails.
The Secretary of the Democratic Party, Elly Schlein, praised the initiative of Spain, Norway, and Ireland in recognizing the State of Palestine. She also called for European recognition of the Palestinian State to aid in the peace process. Currently, the State of Palestine is recognized by 142 countries, accounting for about 70% of the United Nations’ membership worldwide, primarily in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. However, countries like the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Italy maintain diplomatic relations with the Palestinian National Authority without recognizing the State of Palestine.
On May 10th, the UN General Assembly voted on a resolution stating that Palestine is qualified to become a member state with 143 votes in favor, 25 abstentions (including Italy), and nine against, including the US. The ongoing debate surrounding the recognition of the Palestinian State raises important questions about the timing, conditions, and implications of such decisions on the Middle East peace process and the international community’s stance on Palestinian statehood. The varying perspectives among European countries and the US reflect the complexity of the situation and the challenges in achieving a lasting and just resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
