European Parliament calls for recognition of State of Palestine

The European Parliament approved on Thursday a resolution calling on EU member states to “consider recognising the State of Palestine, with a view to achieving the two state solution”.

While the Parliament has supported the “in principle recognition of Palestinian statehood” in the past, this new resolution seems to be a more direct call on national governments to act. The resolution calls on all EU institutions and member states to take diplomatic steps to ensure commitment to a two-state solution.

The resolution was approved with 305 votes in favour, 151 against and 122 abstentions. According to Italian Socialist MEP Nicola Zingaretti, the result was the outcome of thorough negotiations among the political groups on various amendments.

The vote was long and tense, and members of the Parliament even asked for a pause to check the amendment votes on Gaza before proceeding to the final vote on the resolution as a whole.

Another contentious point in the resolution was the use of the term “genocide” to describe Israel’s attacks on Gaza. The wording “genocidal actions” was eventually rejected and excluded from the text.

MEPs have also demanded an immediate and permanent ceasefire, as well as the unconditional release of all Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The resolution recognises Israel’s security and right to self-defence, but stresses that it cannot justify indiscriminate military action in Gaza, and expresses concern over the continuous military operations in the strip.

How many EU countries recognize Palestine?

The 27 member states of the European Union are split over the recognition of a Palestinian state.

Some recognised Palestine in 1988, before they became EU member states: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.

The former Czechoslovakia also recognised Palestinian statehood in 1988, but when it split in 1992, the Czech Republic did not recognise such a state, while Slovakia did.

In October 2014, Sweden became the first country to recognise Palestine as an EU member state, followed by Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia in 2024.

Other EU countries will follow soon: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Malta have already announced their plan to recognise Palestine as a state.

At the 1999 European Council in Berlin, national leaders declared themselves ready to “recognise a Palestinian state in due course”, recognising the "unqualified Palestinian right to self-determination, including the option of a state".