Recognition of the State of Palestine

Recognition of the State of Palestine is the question of whether a government formally acknowledges the State of Palestine as a sovereign state. As of September 2025, Palestine is recognized by 157 of the 193 United Nations member states, just over 81 percent of the total, but has held only non-member observer status at the UN since November 2012, a limited standing that stems primarily from the United States' veto power on the Security Council, since the other four permanent members recognize Palestinian statehood. Governments differ sharply on timing and conditions: some treat recognition as a step that can advance a two-state solution, others hold that it should follow rather than precede direct negotiations.