Palestinian FM Predicts Most Nations Will Recognize Palestine in 2011

Spanish FM Reported Predicted EU Recognition in September

In comments to journalists today, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyal al-Malki predicted that the majority of the world’s nations will have recognized Palestine as an independent nation by the end of 2011.

Malki says he was recently assured by Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez that the European Union would likely recognize Palestine in early September, and that if they did not Spain would unilaterally do so.

Indeed Palestine is already recognized by a large number of states since the 1988 Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Palestine, though the depths of this recognition varies from nation to nation. A number of South American nations, including Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, have recognized them in recent weeks.

The renewed interest has come in the wake of failing peace talks, but has resulted in rebukes from the US State Department, which insists any recognition of Palestine is “unacceptable” until Israel, which still occupies the territory of the would-be nation militarily, agrees to it.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.