Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, announced that Spain, Ireland and other EU member states plan to recognize the state of Palestine on May 21. He said this would join the ranks of states that have recognized the Palestinians’ right to statehood. Borrell added that Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has said that May 21 is the proposed date.
This comes as nine of the 27 EU member states currently recognize the Palestinians’ right to statehood according to the 1967 borders, which include the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. Other EU member states, such as Malta, could join the ranks of the recognizing countries.
The decision is expected to come ahead of a UN vote on full membership for the Palestinian state. This, along with the growing number of countries recognizing Palestinian statehood, could be seen as a sign of support for the Palestinians’ right to statehood.
However, the European Union has not yet reached unanimity on Palestinian state recognition. Some countries are hesitant to take this step, fearing that recognition could damage the peace process.
