What does it mean to recognise Palestinian statehood?

It is a step to “bring peace to the Middle East”, according to Simon Harris, Ireland’s prime minister. On May 22nd his country, along with Norway and Spain, said that it would formally recognise Palestine as a state. Israel recalled its ambassadors from all three countries in response; its foreign minister condemned the trio’s decision as a “distorted step” and said it was evidence, in the wake of Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7th, that “terrorism pays”. Ireland, Norway and Spain are joining the majority of countries: almost three-quarters of members of the UN recognise Palestine. What exactly does that mean—and who are the holdouts?

There are no binding rules about when one country should recognise another, but international law provides some guidelines. The Montevideo Convention on the rights and duties of states, signed by 20 countries in North and South America in 1933, sets out four criteria: a state should have a permanent population; a government; defined borders; and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. But many places recognised as states do not meet those requirements—for instance those with two governments, such as Libya. (Recognising a state usually implies recognising its government, but in such cases countries may choose to endorse whichever government that they consider legitimate.) Some states emerge after national movements declare independence and seek international recognition.

In 1988 Yasser Arafat, the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), declared Palestine a state, with borders based on the land controlled by Arab countries on the eve of the Six Day War of 1967: before that conflict, Egypt controlled Gaza and Jordan held the West Bank and East Jerusalem; during the fighting, Israel took control of those territories. By the end of 1988 roughly half of UN members had recognised Palestine. Today that figure stands at 140; on May 28th Ireland, Norway and Spain will formally join the club.

That will be particularly notable because most other Western countries do not recognise Palestine. America, Britain, France and Germany all support a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, but say that they would only recognise a Palestinian state that is agreed to by the two sides. Israel rejects all unilateral moves. Officially, it says that Palestine must negotiate its final status directly with Israel, but Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, has repeatedly ruled out a two-state solution.

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Because many countries still do not recognise Palestinian statehood, the UN itself has given it only partial recognition. In 1974 the PLO became an observer entity at the UN. In 2012 the UN General Assembly upgraded Palestine’s status to a non-member observer state, putting it on par with the Holy See. To be admitted as a full member it needs the approval of the UN Security Council—of which America, Britain and France have permanent seats, with veto power. In April Algeria, which currently holds a seat on the council, brought the matter to a vote: 12 of the 15 members, including France, supported UN recognition of Palestine, but America vetoed it (Britain and Switzerland abstained). Linda Thomas-Greenfield, America’s ambassador to the UN, argued that the Palestinians do not have full control of “what is supposed to be their state” because Hamas runs “a significant portion” of it.

For Palestinians, the benefits of recognition are mainly symbolic, although there are practical implications: Palestine can open embassies in countries that have recognised its statehood. But its people will not enjoy the full benefits and freedoms of statehood until Israel accepts it. The last direct talks collapsed in 2014; a resumption looks impossible in present circumstances. But they are much needed.

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