TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Palestine's struggle for independence remains a complex international issue. Even after the nation was declared independent on November 15, 1988, many challenges have prevented it from achieving sovereignty. One of them is the lack of recognition by other countries.

Last week, the leaders of Malta, Slovenia, Spain, and Ireland agreed to acknowledge the state of Palestine as the sole means of achieving peace and security in the war-torn region.

They announced after meeting on the sidelines of a summit in Brussels on Friday, March 22. They spoke of their readiness to recognize Palestine "when it can make a positive contribution and the circumstances are right."

“We agree that the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region is through the implementation of a two-state solution, with Israeli and Palestinian States living side-by-side, in peace and security,” they said in a joint statement.

The EU has yet to unanimously endorse the establishment of a Palestinian state, albeit it advocates the so-called two-state solution and is the single biggest donor of aid to Palestinians. To date, only nine out of the 27 EU members recognize the right of Palestinians to a state based on the 1967 borders, which encompasses East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.

Malta

Malta, along with eastern European states such as Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Slovakia, have recognized the Palestinians' right to statehood since 1988.

After meeting with the leaders of Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia on March 22 to discuss the latest developments in Gaza and the Middle East, Prime Minister Robert Abela declared readiness to recognize Palestine. Malta has long been advocating a two-state solution to bring peace to the Middle East.

Slovenia

Speaking after the summit, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob expressed optimism that more could be done "in the next week" to fortify political support for Palestine at the UN. He also believed that in "a few weeks, maybe a month" from now, the circumstances in Palestine would be "ripe" for the formation of a new administration.

Spain

Spain and Ireland have led attempts to toughen the EU’s stance on Israel in response to the mass deaths in Gaza and both have repeatedly stated their willingness to recognize Palestine.

Last November, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pledged that his newly-formed government would make the recognition of Palestinian statehood a top priority in terms of foreign policy.

However, Sánchez said after the summit that while Spain had toyed with the possibility of unilaterally recognizing a Palestinian state, it would much rather follow the lead of other EU members.

"We want to take this step united. It's a decisive step in order to lay the foundations of a lasting peace," he said adding that it is a crucial step to establish the groundwork for a sustainable peace.

Ireland

Last February, Irish Taoiseach or PM Leo Varadkar stated that while South Africa's genocide lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice was "on the agenda," talks were also taking place on the possible recognition of Palestine as a state.

As reported by The Journal, Varadkar said that “a number of EU states acting together to recognize Palestine could enable a more even-handed negotiation of around a two-state solution after the war in Gaza ends.

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