Is it 142, 148 or 149? How AFP counted the countries that recognise the state of Palestine
AFP's tally includes France, following President Emmanuel Macron's announcement on Thursday of a 'formal' recognition in September at the UN General Assembly.
France is among 10 countries that have announced their decision since the start of the war in Gaza, launched by Israel after Hamas's October 2023 attack.
In 2024, four Caribbean countries — Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago — did so, as well as five in Europe — Armenia, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, Spain.
France followed in 2025.
Until now, the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the UN, which represents the Palestinian Authority, had counted 139 countries as having stated their recognition of the Palestinian state, unilaterally proclaimed in 1988.
That would bring the total to 149 by adding the diplomatic gestures made since 2024.
The Palestinian flag is raised for the first time (with the Eiffel tower in the background) on December 13, 2011 above a UN agency, the Unesco headquarters in Paris. France will recognise the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this upcoming September, President Emmanuel Macron announced on his social networks on Thursday. — AFP pic
Understanding AFP's tally
However, AFP's verification, based on official announcements and responses obtained by its global network of bureaux, concluded that at least four countries should not have been included in this list.
They are the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta and Papua New Guinea.
The Vatican was also included in some counts but the Holy See only has observer status at the UN. It is not a member state.
For three other countries — the Central African Republic, Ethiopia and Togo — AFP had not received confirmation as of July 25.
Mexico meanwhile, absent from the list, has stated its recognition.
In 2024, the Mexican foreign ministry said the country had 'long supported various actions' which 'have the legal effect of recognising Palestine's status as a state'.
So to recap AFP's calculation — 139 states before the war, four of which were refuted (bringing the number to 135), three without confirmation (132), minus the Vatican (131), plus Mexico (132), as well as 10 new recognitions (142).
A protester holds a Palestinian flag during a rally called by several French organisations in support of Palestinian people at Place de la Republique in Paris on May 7, 2024. — AFP pic
Going back on past actions
Among the four states removed from the list are two former Eastern Bloc countries, Hungary and the Czech Republic, which do not or no longer recognise the State of Palestine, as had been the case in 1988 as part of Soviet recognition.
Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban is a close ally of his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, stated last year his country 'does not agree with the recognition of a state of Palestine'.
The Czech foreign ministry responded to AFP that its government 'has not yet recognised Palestine as a state'.
In 1988, the government 'recognised only the act of the declaration of the State of Palestine... However, this does not mean recognition of statehood.'
In Papua New Guinea, foreign secretary Elias Wohengu, questioned by AFP, said he was 'not aware of any position by PNG to establish any relations with Palestine', adding: 'Palestine has never been a nation.'
Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko, for his part, responded that the country 'recognises Israel and that's where it stands at this point of time'.
The last of the four is Malta, which said it was ready to recognise Palestine in a joint message with Ireland, Spain and Slovenia in March 2024, once the conditions for the setting up of a state were met.
While the other three countries took those steps a few months later, Malta has not yet formally done so. — AFP
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