Vatican Recognizes Independent Palestinian State

The Vatican government has recognized the independent state of Palestine in a new treaty. In announcing this news, the Vatican stated that in the new treaty, completed on May 12 but not yet signed, it will replace 'Palestine Liberation Organization' with 'Independent Palestinian State' in diplomatic relations and customs. According to the Associated Press, the Vatican welcomed the UN General Assembly's decision in 2012 to recognize the state of Palestine. However, this new treaty marks the first diplomatic negotiation between the Vatican and the Palestinian government and is the first official step in recognizing the state of Palestine. Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, responded to whether this treaty means recognizing an independent Palestinian government by saying, 'Yes, this treaty is indeed a recognition of the existence of this country.' Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, is scheduled to meet with Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of Catholics worldwide, next Saturday before the canonization ceremony of two saints in the Holy Land on Sunday. Over the past year, the Vatican has informally referred to Palestine as an independent country. During Pope Francis's visit to the Holy Land in 2014, Mahmoud Abbas was referred to as the president of the 'State of Palestine' in the official program. In the latest version of the Vatican's ceremonial calendar, the Palestinian ambassador is also referred to as the envoy of the 'State of Palestine.' Antoine Camilleri, the Vatican's foreign minister, accepted this policy change regarding Palestine's status, explaining that treaties concerning the relations between the two parties were previously signed under the title 'Palestine Liberation Organization' and will now be replaced with 'State of Palestine.' He emphasized that this change has always aligned with the Vatican's policies and positions on this issue. The Israeli government expressed regret over this matter. The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated in a statement that this action by the Vatican will not help the peace process and 'will cause Palestinian leaders to move away from direct and bilateral negotiations.' The Israeli Foreign Ministry added that it will carefully review the new treaty and respond accordingly.