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World in transition: States recognize Palestine – Germany faces a decision!
More and more countries, including France and Great Britain, are planning to recognize Palestine as a state, which could also influence Germany's position.
World in transition: States recognize Palestine – Germany faces a decision!
In a significant move in the geopolitical landscape, several countries have announced that they will recognize Palestine as a state. Among the countries agreeing to this recognition are France, Great Britain and Canada. Germany could also consider taking this step, which the international community will be watching closely in the coming months. Current developments show that the formal process of recognition often occurs through a declaration by the head of state or is initiated through diplomatic notes, but there is no established process for this in international law. Although recognition itself does not have a constitutive effect on the existence of a state, it often has symbolic meaning and can have far-reaching consequences. This is particularly clear in the example of the former Yugoslavia states, whose independence was significantly supported by EU recognition uni-muenster.de reported.
The situation surrounding the recognition of Palestine has developed dynamically recently. Emmanuel Macron plans to recognize Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September 2025. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also expressed his intention to recognize it, but this is contingent on Israel's progress on the Gaza conflict. Canada and Malta have also considered similar steps. In recent years, Spain, Norway and Ireland have already expressed their recognition. Despite these tendencies, Germany has so far remained cautious and has not yet recognized Palestine. The reality is that 147 out of 193 UN member states have already recognized Palestine as a state, indicating a clear trend influenced by the humanitarian situation in Gaza and accompanied by the serious human rights violations alleged by Israel. These complex political decisions were also made by lto.de described.
The legal framework of recognition
The legal status of Palestine is complex. The UN General Assembly has granted Palestine observer state status since 2012. In 2024, it determined that Palestine met the requirements for full membership. The Montevideo Convention defines the characteristics of statehood, which include a state people, a defined territory and effective state power. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has classified the Israeli occupation as contrary to international law, but leaves the question of Palestinian state authority open. Nevertheless, the ICJ recognizes the Palestinians' right to self-determination, which strengthens the international legal basis for recognition. Aside from the political implications, international recognition also offers the opportunity to establish diplomatic relations and conclude economic agreements, as has already happened to a limited extent with the Palestinian Authority, such as diplowiki.com explained.
The process of state recognition itself is often influenced by political considerations. Two main theories of state recognition exist: the constitutive and the declarative theory. While the constitutive theory states that a state only becomes a subject of international law through the recognition of other states, the declarative theory argues that the existence of a state is independent of this recognition. Decision-makers such as the US State Department emphasize that recognition depends on factual conditions, while the UK sees control over territory as the decisive criterion. Therefore, future development in the context of the processes recognizing Palestinian states remains closely linked to regional and international politics.