Luxembourg to recognize Palestine at UN summit next week

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
Today 18:01

With this decision, Luxembourg joins other EU nations calling for a renewed commitment to the "two-state solution".

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Luxembourg's Prime Minister Luc Frieden arrives for an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Thursday, June 26, 2025 (AP)

Luxembourg announced on Tuesday that it will formally recognize the State of Palestine during next week’s United Nations summit in New York. The decision aligns Luxembourg with a growing list of countries backing the "two-state solution", amid rising international condemnation of "Israel’s" prolonged war on Gaza.

Speaking to reporters late Monday, September 15, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Luc Frieden stated that the worsening situation in Gaza has prompted the EU country to act.

“The situation on the ground has deteriorated considerably in recent months,” Frieden said. “A movement is now emerging in Europe and around the world to demonstrate that the two-state solution is still relevant.”

Frieden confirmed that Luxembourg will join other countries in supporting Palestinian statehood during the upcoming UN conference dedicated to reviving the "two-state" framework. The move comes amid diplomatic momentum sparked by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has pledged that France will also recognize Palestine.

In July, Macron announced that France’s recognition of a Palestinian state was imminent. Since then, over a dozen Western nations have voiced similar commitments.

Macron leads European push amid war on Gaza

The shift in European policy comes as criticism intensifies over "Israel’s" nearly two-year war on Gaza, launched following the events of October 7, 2023. Israeli ministers have condemned the recognition efforts as a “reward for terror,” while the United States has echoed similar concerns.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed on Monday that recognizing Palestine has “emboldened” Hamas, which still holds 48 Israeli captives in Gaza, with around 20-22 believed to be alive.

Despite international calls for a "two-state solution", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his opposition last week, declaring, “There will be no Palestinian state.”

His government simultaneously advanced the controversial E1 settlement expansion plan, which would further divide West Bank territory and obstruct Palestinian statehood ambitions.

Hardline factions within "Israel" have escalated demands for the formal "annexation" of the West Bank, home to approximately three million Palestinians.

Currently, nearly three-quarters of the 193 United Nations member states recognize the State of Palestine.

The upcoming summit is expected to serve as a major diplomatic platform for advancing international recognition and pressuring for concrete steps toward ending the occupation.