A Number Of Countries In Europe, Caribbean And Latin America Are Called Ready To Admit Palestinian Status

Illustration of the Palestinian state (Source: UN Photo/Manuel Elvis)

JAKARTA - A number of countries in Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America are said to be recognizing Palestinian citizenship status, a move that Israel has strongly criticized.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Monday several EU member countries are expected to recognize the Palestinian state by the end of May, quoted from WAFA April 30.

Last month, the Prime Ministers of Spain, Ireland, Slovakia, and Malta expressed their readiness to recognize the Palestinian state in a joint statement.

Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez previously said he expected Madrid to give recognition to Palestine in July and he believes there will soon be a "critical mass" within the EU that will encourage some of its members to take the same position, quoted from Al Arabiya.

Responding to the admission plan, Israel's Foreign Minister, Israel Katz at the time said recognition of the Palestinian state was a 'gift' to terrorism, kept away resolutions and increased regional instability.

"Recognition of the Palestinian state after the October 7 massacre sent a message to Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations that a deadly terror attack on Israelis would be met with political signs against Palestine," Israel's Foreign Minister Katz wrote on social media X.

So far, there are around 142 countries that have recognized the status of the Palestinian state. Most recently, the Jamaican and Barbados governments announced their acknowledgment of the Palestinian state.

Last Sunday, Palestinian Ambassador to Riyad Mansour said new countries in the Caribbean and Latin America region would soon recognize the Palestinian State.

He said the Republics of Tokyo and Tobago would soon recognize Palestinian countries following Jamaica and Barbados' recognition of Palestine as a country.

He further said efforts were underway with the Bahamas and Panama to recognize the Palestinian State, in response to the United States' veto on the full Palestinian membership at the United Nations.

The United States is known to veto UN Security Council resolutions proposed by Algeria on behalf of Arab countries that recommended full membership of the Palestinian State at the United Nations on April 18.