Six Nations, Including France, Recognize Palestinian Statehood Ahead of UNGA
At a high-level summit in New York on Monday, just before the UN General Assembly (UNGA), six countries France, Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and Monaco — formally announced recognition of the State of Palestine.
France co-hosted the meeting with Saudi Arabia, where President Emmanuel Macron declared, “Today, I declare that France recognizes the state of Palestine. The time has come. It is our responsibility to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution.”
Leaders from Australia, Canada, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, which recognized Palestine a day earlier, also addressed the gathering.
With this step, more than 80 percent of UN member states around 147 of 193 — now recognize Palestine. The growing wave of recognition has intensified international pressure on Israel, which continues its devastating war on Gaza. Since October 2023, over 65,300 Palestinians have been killed, and large parts of the enclave reduced to rubble.
Spain, Norway, and Ireland recognized Palestinian statehood last year, with Spain also imposing sanctions on Israel. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told the summit that a two-state solution was impossible while “one of those two peoples is the victim of a genocide.”
Macron also proposed a framework for a “renewed Palestinian Authority” supported by an International Stabilization Force (ISF) to eventually govern Gaza. Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the recognitions in a video address, urging other nations to follow suit and support Palestine’s bid for full UN membership. Abbas was unable to attend in person after being denied a US visa.
Israel and the United States boycotted the summit, with Israeli UN ambassador Danny Danon dismissing it as a “circus.” Despite broad global recognition, Palestinian statehood at the UN remains blocked by Washington’s repeated Security Council vetoes.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres reaffirmed his stance that Palestinian statehood is “a right, not a reward”, while Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan warned that Israel’s ongoing aggression in Gaza, the West Bank, and recent attacks on neighboring states undermined regional and global stability.
The US condemned the recognitions, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claiming the move “rewards Hamas” and complicates efforts to end the war.
However, analysts argue momentum is building. Sultan Barakat, a professor at Qatar’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University, said recognition is more than symbolic, reflecting “practical support for the Palestinian cause.”
Analysts say many European leaders view recognition as part of a push for a new political order to end the war in Gaza, even if ultimate progress depends on US approval.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains firmly opposed, reiterating he will never allow a Palestinian state. Last September, the UNGA passed a resolution calling on Israel to end its occupation within a year, a demand still unmet.
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