KAZAN, May 14. /TASS/. Palestine expects US President Donald Trump to announce the establishment of a Palestinian state, Ambassador to Moscow Abdel Hafiz Nofal told TASS on the sidelines of the Russia-Islamic World: KazanForum event.
"Despite everything Israel is doing, we still want peace and the two-state solution. So, maybe," the diplomat said, commenting on media reports that the US leader may announce the recognition of Palestine.
In turn, Jewish Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said late last week that Israel insists the creation of a full-fledged independent Palestinian state is unacceptable and intends to respond with "unilateral steps" to any effort in that direction.
On April 9, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Paris could recognize Palestinian statehood in June. In 2024, amid the worsening Middle East crisis, the governments of Ireland, Spain and Norway announced their recognition of Palestine. Israel responded by recalling ambassadors from Dublin, Madrid and Oslo for consultations. Meanwhile, the Jewish state's Foreign Ministry summoned the heads of the diplomatic missions of Ireland, Spain and Norway.
In total, the State of Palestine is recognized by 148 UN member states. Palestinian embassies and permanent missions operate in 95 countries. The Soviet Union recognized the State of Palestine in 1988.
The 16th international economic forum Russia-Islamic World: KazanForum runs from May 13 to 18 in Kazan. The main theme of the forum in 2025 is "Digitalization: a new reality and additional opportunities for expanding cooperation." Representatives of more than 100 countries have confirmed their participation in the forum. TASS is the event’s general media partner.