Rama Krishna Sangem
After Norway, Spain and Ireland, a total 142 countries of 193 members of the United Nations recognize Palestine. India is one of them. Only the US, UK, Germany and other major western countries to recognize Palestine.
Norway, Spain and Ireland on May 22, Wednesday announced they will officially recognise Palestine as an independent state, breaking with the position that Western powers have maintained for a long time — that a Palestinian state can only come about as part of a negotiated peace with Israel.
The historic move comes amid Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which has dragged on for nearly eight months. It also comes after the United States (US) used its veto at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in April to prevent a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member state.
The announcement drew condemnation from Israel, which immediately ordered back its ambassadors from Norway and Ireland, but jubilation from the Palestinians. A state of Palestine is already recognised by 142 of the 193 member countries of the UN, according to the Palestinian Authority (PA), which holds limited powers in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Palestine Authority has limited power
These member countries include many Middle Eastern, African and Asian countries. However, the US, Canada, a large part of western Europe, and Australia are not part of this group.
Palestinians possess limited self-government through the PA in parts of the occupied West Bank. While the PA lost control of the Gaza Strip to Hamas in 2007, the UN considers both territories as comprising a single political entity and as being occupied by Israel.
Palestine, which is a non-member observer state of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), was granted additional rights in May by the UNGA. These rights include being seated with member states, being able to introduce proposals and being able to participate in committees. However, Palestine still does not have the right to vote.
Among the G20, a strategic multilateral platform connecting the world’s major developed and emerging economies, ten countries recognise the state of Palestine: India, China, Russia, Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Turkey.
US vetoes full membership to Palestine
Nine countries in the G20 do not: the US, the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and South Korea. The remaining members of the G20 are the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU), which comprises 55 nations and was inducted as a member of the G20 in September 2023.
In April, the US vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for Palestine’s full UN membership, a cherished goal for the Palestinians that Israel has worked hard to prevent.
