PARIS: With Israel’s Gaza war lasting for more than seven months now since the October 7 bombing, worldwide appeal for an independent Palestinian state has been revived.
On Wednesday, however, Norway, Spain and Ireland all broke with Wester-powers’ long-held view that a Palestinian state could only come through a negotiated peace with Israel and announced plans to recognize a State of Palestine.
The Palestinian Authority claims that 142 out of 193 United Nations member countries recognize the State of Palestine.
Countries that recognise it include many Middle Eastern, African and Asian nations but not Australia, most Western European states except Sweden, Germany, Hungary etc.,the US or Canada nor Japan or South Korea.
In April the US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution aimed at achieving full UN membership for Palestine as a country.
Below is a brief summary of their pursuit for self-determination by Palestinians:
1988: Arafat proclaims state
On November 15th , 1988 during the first Intifada against Israeli occupation, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat declared independence unilaterally transforming Jerusalem into its capital.
It happened in Algiers during a session attended by all exiled PLO members. They advocated two sovereign states along with shared borders and Jerusalem recognised as capitals of both countries.
Subsequently Algerian became the first nation to formally recognize sovereign Palestine.
Within weeks dozens of other countries followed suit including much of Arab world India,Turkey,Africa mostly Poland followed by central and eastern Europe etcetera…
The next wave arrived between late 2010 and early 2011when there was crisis in Middle East peace process.
A plethora of South American countries like Brazil Chile Argentina were called upon by Palestinians to back up their cause for statehood that this continent did.
This move was in response to Israel lifting an earlier ban on construction activities in Jewish settlements situated within occupied West bank areas.
2011-2012: UN recognition
In 2011, the Palestinians decided to launch a campaign for the full membership of United Nations (UN) as the State of Palestine since their peace talks had stalled.
The attempt failed but on 31st October, 2011 UNESCO voted to accept the Palestinians as its full member which was seen as a step-change.
This reaction triggered a huge response from Israelis and Americans who stopped funding this institute based in Paris (France).
They finally opted out of Unesco in 2018 but last year America re-joined it.
Palestinian flag was hoisted at United Nations in New York City for the first time after General Assembly overwhelmingly supported “non-member observer state” during deliberations in November 2012.
In addition, three years later on, ICC accepted Palestine as its state party.
2014: Sweden first in western Europe
Sweden became first EU country from Western Europe to recognize Palestine due to presence of large Swedish Palestinian community in Sweden in 2014.
It followed almost daily violence between Israeli forces and Palestinians living within Jerusalem’s eastern section that Israel annexed earlier.
Thereafter six other European countries also recognized sovereign Palestine that include Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.
Israel’s response was an angry one, with Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman telling the Swedes that “relations in the Middle East are a lot more complex than the self-assembly furniture of IKEA”.
2024: Europe pushes again.
Palestinian statehood is now getting a fresh lease of life in Europe because Israel has relentlessly attacked Gaza killing not less than 35,647 people according to the territory’s health ministry as Hamas killed more than 1,170 people in Israel.
Norway, Spain and Ireland said they would recognize Palestine by May 28th despite threats by Israel. In this regard, the latter country recalled its envoys from Norway and Ireland to discuss this move.
When the time is right Malta and Slovenia had stated their readiness to recognize Palestine in March.
On top of that Australia as well has been pondering making an independent gesture of supporting Palestinian independence.
This comes after President Emmanuel Macron also said France could consider recognizing a Palestinian state without waiting for a negotiated peace deal.
