Palestine recognition: the principle the EU has been stuck on for decades

<p>Europe’s ability to help bring peace to the Middle East has long come under question, with Spain’s PM this week saying it had failed on Gaza</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/sep/04/ukraine-russia-security-guarantees-coalition-of-the-willing-paris-europe-live-news-updates">Europe live – latest updates</a></p></li></ul><p>In 1980 when Leonid Brezhnev ruled the Soviet Union and Donald Trump was a property developer, the nine leaders of the then European Community made their first major foray into joint diplomacy. The cause: the Middle East, including a Palestinian state.</p><p>“The time has come to promote the recognition and implementation of two principles universally accepted by the international community: the right to existence and to security of all states in the region, including Israel … [and] recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,” stated the <a href="https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-209872/">Venice declaration</a> calling for Palestinian self-determination.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/04/palestine-recognition-eu-european-union-stuck-gaza-israel">Continue reading...</a>