Vatican recognizes Palestine as a state

Pope Francis
(Image credit: Franco Origlia /Getty Images)

The Vatican on Wednesday formally recognized the state of Palestine with the finalization of a new treaty updating its diplomatic relations. The treaty, which has yet to be signed, is "the first legal document negotiated between the Holy See and the Palestinian state and constitutes an official recognition," according to The Associated Press.

More than 130 countries recognize Palestine as a state, as does the United Nations, which in 2012 voted overwhelmingly in favor of recognition. The United States does not recognize Palestine and opposed the U.N. vote, calling it "unfortunate and counterproductive."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.