Feb 17, 2026 by John Ferrer/Foreign Policy in Focus
By some measures, the Palestinian bid for statehood has never been stronger.
By the end of last year, at least 157 countries had recognized the state of Palestine, which represents slightly more than 80 percent of the world’s nations. Some of those countries are quite powerful, such as China, India, Indonesia, the UK, France, Australia, and Russia. Palestine is a member of the International Criminal Court, UNESCO, the Group of 77. A Palestinian delegation has competed in every summer Olympics since 1996.
The Palestinian Authority, which functions as the closest thing to an internationally recognized government, has even prepared a draft constitutionthat would, if it passes a referendum, formally transform Palestinian lands into a state.
Read the entire article here.
Shutterstock