According to Deutsche Welle, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government have consistently criticized efforts to recognize Palestinian statehood, arguing that such moves would reward terrorism. Despite this, most countries worldwide already acknowledge the Palestinian territories as a state, although key powers remain opposed. In a significant development on May 11, 2024, 143 out of 193 UN General Assembly members voted in favor of a resolution recognizing Palestinian statehood.
Palestine currently holds non-member observer status at the UN, with full membership requiring approval by the UN Security Council. In April 2024, the US, wielding veto power, blocked a draft resolution recommending full membership for Palestine. The year 2024 also saw the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Barbados announce their recognition of the Palestinian territories as a state. Mexico followed suit in June 2023, establishing a full embassy in the Palestinian territories.
Colombia, which recognized Palestine in 2018, has reduced its political and economic ties with Israel since the onset of Israeli military actions in Gaza. Colombian President Gustavo Petro recently ordered the opening of an embassy in Ramallah, located in the occupied West Bank.
The US, Canada, Australia, many Western European countries, and allies like Japan and South Korea have traditionally supported an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel as a solution to the Middle Eastern conflict. However, many have insisted on recognizing Palestinian territories as an independent nation only as part of a comprehensive peace agreement. This position has shifted since the ongoing war in Gaza started in 2023 after Hamas-led attacks on October 7.
In 2024, Ireland, Norway, and Spain formally recognized Palestinian statehood, citing Israeli conduct in the conflict. In 2025, France became the first G7 nation to announce its intent 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 predicted that Portugal and Belgium might join France in this move, while Denmark and Luxembourg were also potential candidates.
Germany, a staunch supporter of Israel within the EU, is unlikely to alter its stance. "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," Lovatt remarked to DW in July.