State of Palestine

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The "State of Palestine" (Arabic: دولة فلسطين‎ dawlat filastin Hebrew: מדינת פלסטין‎ medinat phalastin ) is a partially recognized country in Western Asia located in the Palestinian territory of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip[citation needed]. It is adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea, and the countries of Egypt, Israel and Jordan. The modern state has its historical roots in the Declaration of the State of Palestine in line with the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, and a series of agreements between the representatives of the Palestinian people, and Israel. The Gaza Strip is currently controlled by the Hamas faction of the Palestinian National Authority, the West Bank is administered by the Fatah faction of the Palestinian National Authority, and East Jerusalem is under Israeli administration.[1]

Palestine is currently recognized by approximately 103 countries.[2][3] The Israeli military still occupies portions of the Palestinian Territories. The commander exercises usufructuary rights in accordance with international law, but is not the legal sovereign of the occupied territory.[4] The permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people over the natural resources of the territory has been recognized by 164 countries. Under agreements reached with Israel, the Palestinian Authority exercises de jure control over many of the natural resources, while interim cooperation arrangements are in place for others.[5]

Contents

[edit] Approval of Declaration

The declaration was approved by the Palestinian National Council in Algiers on November 15, 1988 by a vote of 253 in favour 46 against and 10 abstentions.

The declaration invoked the Treaty of Lausanne (1923) and UN General Assembly Resolution 181 in support of its claim to a "State of Palestine on our Palestinian territory with its capital Jerusalem".

The proclaimed "State of Palestine" was recognized immediately by the Arab League. The State of Palestine is not recognized by the United Nations.

Though not recognising the State of Palestine, the European Union, as well as most of its member states, maintain diplomatic ties with the Palestinian Authority, established under the Oslo Accords. Leila Shahid, envoy of the PLO to France since 1984, was named representative of the Palestinian Authority for Europe in November 2005 .[citation needed]

[edit] Impact

The declaration is generally interpreted as recognizing Israel within its pre-1967 boundaries, or was at least a major step on the path to recognition. Just as in Israel's declaration of establishment, it partly bases its claims on UN GA 181. By reference to "resolutions of Arab Summits" and "UN resolutions since 1947" (like SC 242) it implicitly and perhaps ambiguously restricted its immediate claims to the Palestinian territories and Jerusalem. It was accompanied by a political statement that explicitly mentioned SC 242 and other UN resolutions and called only for withdrawal from "Arab Jerusalem" and the other "Arab territories occupied."[6] Yasser Arafat's statements in Geneva a month later[7][8] were accepted by the United States as sufficient to remove the ambiguities it saw in the declaration and to fulfill the longheld conditions for open dialogue with the United States.[9][10]

The PLO envisages a final settlement to include all or part of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, the Palestinian territories, living in peace with Israel under a democratically elected and sovereign government. To this end, it took part in negotiations with Israel resulting in the 1993 Declaration of Principles, which along with subsequent agreements between the two parties provided for the establishment of a Palestinian interim self-governing authority with partial control over defined areas in the Palestinian territories. This authority, known as the Palestinian Authority or Palestinian National Authority (PNA). The Palestinian Authority has subsequently asserted that it is a legally constituted state and has entered into bilateral relations with other countries.[11]

[edit] States that recognize the State of Palestine

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This article may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (September 2007)
See also: Diplomatic missions of the Palestinian National Authority
Map showing nations which have recognized or have special diplomatic arrangements with the State of Palestine or other Palestinian delegation.

More than 100 states recognize the State of Palestine[12], and 20 more grant some form of diplomatic status to a Palestinian delegation, falling short of full diplomatic recognition.

The following are listed in alphabetical order by region.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

[edit] Africa

[edit] Americas

[edit] Asia

[edit] Europe

[edit] Middle East

[edit] Countries granting diplomatic status to non-State representatives

The delegations and embassies listed below on the left, are recognized as the representatives of the Palestinian people by the nations listed to their right:

[edit] United Nations representation

The Palestine Liberation Organization gained observer status at the United Nations General Assembly in 1974 (General Assembly resolution 3237). Acknowledging the proclamation of the State of Palestine, the UN redesignated this observer status as belonging to Palestine in 1988 (General Assembly resolution 43/177.) In July 1998, the General Assembly adopted a new resolution (52/250) conferring upon Palestine additional rights and privileges, including the right to participate in the general debate held at the start of each session of the General Assembly, the right of reply, the right to co-sponsor resolutions and the right to raise points of order on Palestinian and Middle East issues. By this resolution, "seating for Palestine shall be arranged immediately after non-member States and before the other observers." This resolution was adopted by a vote of 124 in favor, 4 against (Israel, USA, Marshall Islands, Micronesia) and 10 abstentions.[citation needed]

[edit] See also

Palestine portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ Olmert: Israel must quit East Jerusalem and Golan
  2. ^ Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU): 3.10 - How many countries recognize Palestine as a state?
  3. ^ Palestinian National Authority Recognition of the State of Palestine after its proclamation by the PNC meeting in Algiers in November 1988
  4. ^ see HCJ 7957/04 Mara’abe v. The Prime Minister of Israel
  5. ^ The Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples - resolution 1514 (XV), 1960 outlawed colonialism, and provided that indigenous peoples have permanent sovereignty over the natural resources of their territory. The UN has reaffirmed the principle of the permanent sovereignty of peoples under foreign occupation over their natural resources, and the Permanent Sovereignty of the Palestinian People Over The Natural Resources Of The Occupied Palestinian territories. The representative of Israeli stated that under agreements reached between the two sides, the Palestinian Authority already exercises jurisdiction (i.e. de jure control) over many natural resources, while interim cooperation and arrangements are in place for others.
  6. ^ Political communique Palestine National Council. Algiers, November 15, 1988. Official translation.
  7. ^ Yasser Arafat, Speech at UN General Assembly Geneva, General Assembly 13 December 1988 - Le Monde Diplomatique
  8. ^ Arafat Clarifies Statement to Satisfy U.S. Conditions for Dialogue, 14 December 1988 - Jewish Virtual Library
  9. ^ Rabie, Mohamed (Summer,1992). "The U.S.-PLO Dialogue: The Swedish Connection". Journal of Palestine Studies 21 (4): 54-66. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0377-919X(199222)21%3A4%3C54%3ATUDTSC%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Q. Retrieved on 2007-07-01. 
  10. ^ Quandt, William B. (1993). Peace Process: American Diplomacy and the Arab-Israeli conflict since 1967. Washington: Brookings Institution. pp. 367-375, 494. ISBN 0-520-08390-3. 
  11. ^ Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki recently said that he and Palestinian Justice Minister Ali Kashan had provided proof that Palestine had been extended legal (de jure) recognition as a state by 67 countries, and had bilateral agreements with states in Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe. see ICC prosecutor considers ‘Gaza war crimes’ probe
  12. ^ European Journal of International Law "The Creation of the State of Palestine"
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb OIC members and Palestine The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries
    OIC members urge recognition of Hamas People's Daily
  14. ^ http://www.palestina.int.ar/ Retrieved March 20, 2007.
  15. ^ Diplomatic and Consular Missions > Consulate General of the State of Palestine. Government of the Philippines. Retrieved March 20, 2007.
  16. ^ Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Government of Vietnam. Retrieved March 20, 2007.
  17. ^ Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Government of Cyprus. Retrieved March 20, 2007.
  18. ^ http://www.mip.vlada.cg.yu/index.php?akcija=vijesti&id=15103 Retrieved March 20, 2007.
  19. ^ Ukranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved March 20, 2007.
  20. ^ http://www.mfa.gr/el-GR/The+Ministry/Structure/Foreign+Authorities+in+Greece/Embasies/
  21. ^ http://www.palestina.com.mx/

[edit] Bibliography

  • Silverburg, Sanford R. (2002). Palestine and International Law: Essays on Politics and Economics. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Co. ISBN 0-7864-1191-0. 

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Palestine"
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