Many of the historical occurrences recorded in Christian and Jewish scripture occurred in Israel, a country/territorial entity in the Middle East.
One of the key protagonists in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is Israel, a long-running territorial dispute between Jews and Arabs, the majority of whom are Muslim. This disagreement created Israel and Palestine (composed of two smaller territories, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip).
As of December 2020, only 165 of the United Nations’ 193 member nations have recognized Israel, despite its admission to the organization. A group of U.N.U.N. members refuses to recognize Israel as a sovereign state, mostly Arab and Muslim nations.
A show of political solidarity with Palestine, whose statehood is recognized by 139 members of the United Nations.
While some nations have said they would recognize Israel or Palestine, they have since reneged on that promise or quietly discontinued their political links without publicly proclaiming a shift in policy.

Table of Contents
Countries That Recognize Israel
Note: * represents an Arab League member nation.
Albania | Egypt * | Lithuania | San Marino |
Andorra | El Salvador | Luxembourg | Sao Tome & Principe |
Angola | Equatorial Guinea | Madagascar | Senegal |
Antigua & Barbuda | Eritrea * | Malawi | Serbia |
Argentina | Estonia | Malta | Seychelles |
Armenia * | Eswatini | Marshall Islands | Sierra Leone |
Australia | Ethiopia | Mauritius | Singapore |
Austria | Fiji | Mexico | Slovakia |
Azerbaijan | Finland | Micronesia | Slovenia |
Bahamas | France | Moldova | Solomon Islands |
Bahrain * | Gabon | Monaco | South Africa |
Barbados | Gambia | Mongolia | South Korea |
Belarus | Georgia | Montenegro | South Sudan |
Belgium | Germany | Morocco * | Spain |
Belize | Ghana | Mozambique | Sri Lanka |
Benin | Greece | Myanmar | Sudan * |
Bhutan | Grenada | Namibia | Suriname |
Bolivia | Guatemala | Nauru | Sweden |
Bosnia & Herzegovina | Guinea | Nepal | Switzerland |
Botswana | Guinea-Bissau | Netherlands | Tajikistan |
Brazil * | Guyana | New Zealand | Tanzania |
Bulgaria | Haiti | Nicaragua | Thailand |
Burkina Faso | Honduras | Nigeria | Timor-Leste |
Burundi | Hungary | North Macedonia | Togo |
Cambodia | Iceland | Norway | Tonga |
Cameroon | India * | Palau | Trinidad & Tobago |
Canada | Ireland | Palestine * | Turkey |
Cape Verde | Italy | Panama | Turkmenistan |
Central African Republic | Ivory Coast | Papua New Guinea | Tuvalu |
Chad | Jamaica | Paraguay | Uganda |
Chile | Japan | Peru | Ukraine |
China | Jordan * | Philippines | United Arab Emirates * |
Colombia | Kazakhstan | Poland | United Kingdom |
Costa Rica | Kenya | Portugal | United States |
Croatia | Kiribati | Rep. of the Congo | Uruguay |
Cyprus | Kosovo | Romania | Uzbekistan |
Czech Republic | Kyrgyzstan | Russia | Vanuatu |
Denmark | Laos | Rwanda | Vatican City |
Dominica | Latvia | St. Kitts & Nevis | Vietnam |
Dominican Republic | Lesotho | St. Lucia | Zambia |
DR Congo | Liberia | St. Vincent & Grenadines | Zimbabwe |
Ecuador | Liechtenstein | Samoa |
Israel’s Recent History
Israeli independence was announced at the stroke of twelve on May 14, 1948, when Israel’s Provisional Government published the Israeli Declaration of Independence, which formed the new State of Israel while also declaring its independence.
The United States initially recognized Israel on the same day it was established.
The de facto power of the nascent Jewish state was acknowledged by President Harry Truman when he recognized the interim Jewish government as such. Israel is home to the world’s largest Jewish population. Day after Israel’s proclamation, the first Arab-Israeli conflict broke out on May 15, 1948.
When the United Nations General Assembly accepted Israel’s application for United Nations membership on May 11, 1949, almost a year after the country was founded, it became the 59th member.
The vote was 37 to 12 (with nine abstentions), with several nations already recognizing Israel before the formal U.N. vote on the subject.
Cuba and Venezuela, two countries that voted in favor, have now withdrawn their support for Israel. Six Arab League members voted against Israel being admitted. Israel’s sovereignty is still up for grabs, even after all these years.

Countries That Do Not Recognize Israel
Note: * signifies a member of the Arab League, and # denotes a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Afghanistan # | Indonesia # | Maldives # | Qatar #* |
Algeria #* | Iran # | Mali # | Saudi Arabia #* |
Bangladesh # | Iraq #* | Mauritania #* | Somalia #* |
Brunei # | Kuwait #* | Niger # | Syria #* |
Comoros #* | Lebanon #* | North Korea | Tunisia #* |
Cuba | Libya * | Oman #* | Venezuela * |
Djibouti #* | Malaysia # | Pakistan # | Yemen #* |
Also See: Countries That Hate Each Other 2022
16 nations that do not recognize Israel belong to the Arab League, which has 22 full members and five observer members (Syria’s membership is presently suspended, and Venezuela is an observer state with no voting powers).
Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates, all members of the Arab League, will officially recognize Israel in 2020. Of the 57 members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, 24 do not recognize Israel.
Country | Recognizes Israel | Date Recognized | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Afghanistan | No | n/a | Denies Israeli passports. |
Albania | Yes | 1949-April-16 | |
Algeria | No | n/a | Denies Israeli passports. |
Andorra | Yes | 1994-April-13 | |
Angola | Yes | 1992-April-16 | |
Antigua and Barbuda | Yes | 1983-June-22 | |
Argentina | Yes | 1949-February-14 | |
Armenia | Yes | 1992-April-04 | |
Australia | Yes | 1949-January-29 | |
Austria | Yes | 1949-March-15 | |
Azerbaijan | Yes | 1992-April-07 | |
Bahamas | Yes | 1974-September-24 | |
Bahrain | Yes | 2020-September-11 | |
Bangladesh | No | n/a | Denies Israeli passports. Bangladeshi passports are denied by Israel. |
Barbados | Yes | 1967-August-29 | |
Belarus | Yes | 1949-May-11 | |
Belgium | Yes | 1950-January-15 | |
Belize | Yes | 1984-September-06 | |
Benin | Yes | 1961-December-05 | |
Bhutan | Yes | 2020-December-12 | |
Bolivia | Yes | 1949-February-22 | Granted 1949, rescinded 2009, restored 2019 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Yes | 1997-September-26 | |
Botswana | Yes | n/a | Original date unverified. Rescinded 1973, restored Dec. 1993. |
Brazil | Yes | 1949-February-07 | |
Brunei | No | n/a | Denies Israeli passports. Brunei passports are denied by Israel. |
Bulgaria | Yes | 1948-December-04 | Rescinded June 1967, restored May 1990. |
Burkina Faso | Yes | 1961-July-05 | Rescinded Oct. 1973, restored Oct. 1993. |
Burundi | Yes | n/a | Rescinded May 1973, restored Mar. 1995. |
Cambodia | Yes | 1960-August-30 | Rescinded 1975, restored Oct. 1993. |
Cameroon | Yes | 1960-September-15 | Rescinded Oct. 1973, restored Aug. 1986. |
Canada | Yes | 1949-May-11 | |
Cape Verde | Yes | 1994-July-17 | |
Central African Republic | Yes | n/a | Original date unverified. Rescinded 1973, restored 1991. |
Chad | Yes | 1961-January-10 | Rescinded Nov. 1972, restored Jan. 2019. |
Chile | Yes | 1949-February-05 | |
China | Yes | 1949-March-01 | |
Colombia | Yes | 1949-February-01 | |
Comoros | No | n/a | |
Costa Rica | Yes | 1948-June-19 | |
Croatia | Yes | 1997-November-04 | |
Cuba | No | 1949-January-14 | Granted 1949, but rescinded Sept. 1973. |
Cyprus | Yes | 1961-January-21 | |
Czech Republic | Yes | 1948-May-18 | As Czechoslovakia. Rescinded June 1967, restored Jan. 1993. |
Denmark | Yes | 1949-February-02 | |
Djibouti | No | n/a | |
Dominica | Yes | 1978-January-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Dominican Republic | Yes | 1948-December-29 | |
DR Congo | Yes | 1960-June-26 | Rescinded Oct. 1973, restored May 1982. |
Ecuador | Yes | 1949-February-02 | |
Egypt | Yes | 1979-March-26 | |
El Salvador | Yes | 1948-September-11 | |
Equatorial Guinea | Yes | n/a | Original date unverified. Rescinded 1973, restored Jan 1994. |
Eritrea | Yes | 1993-May-06 | |
Estonia | Yes | 1992-January-09 | |
Eswatini | Yes | 1968-September-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Ethiopia | Yes | 1961-October-24 | |
Fiji | Yes | 1970-August-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Finland | Yes | 1948-June-11 | |
France | Yes | 1949-January-24 | |
Gabon | Yes | 1993-September-29 | Rescinded Oct 1973, restored Sept. 1993. |
Gambia | Yes | n/a | Original date unverified. Rescinded Oct. 1973, restored Sept. 1992. |
Georgia | Yes | 1992-June-01 | |
Germany | Yes | 1965-May-12 | As West Germany. |
Ghana | Yes | n/a | Original date unverified. Rescinded Oct. 1973, restored Aug. 1994. |
Greece | Yes | 1949-March-15 | |
Grenada | Yes | 1975-January-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Guatemala | Yes | 1948-May-19 | |
Guinea | Yes | n/a | Original date unverified. Rescinded June 1967, restored July 2016. |
Guinea-Bissau | Yes | 1994-March-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Guyana | Yes | n/a | Original date unverified. Rescinded Mar. 1974, restored Mar. 1992. |
Haiti | Yes | 1949-February-26 | |
Honduras | Yes | 1948-November-08 | |
Hungary | Yes | 1948-May-24 | Rescinded 1967, restored Sept. 1989. |
Iceland | Yes | 1949-February-11 | |
India | Yes | 1950-September-17 | |
Indonesia | No | n/a | Greatly limits visits from Israelis. |
Iran | No | 1950-March-14 | Granted 1950, but rescinded Feb. 1979. Denies Israeli passports. |
Iraq | No | n/a | Denies Israeli passports in most circumstances. Iraqi passports are denied by Israel. |
Ireland | Yes | 1949-February-12 | |
Italy | Yes | 1949-February-08 | |
Ivory Coast | Yes | 1961-February-15 | Rescinded Nov. 1973, restored Feb. 1986. |
Jamaica | Yes | 1962-January-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Japan | Yes | 1952-May-15 | |
Jordan | Yes | 1994-October-26 | |
Kazakhstan | Yes | 1992-April-10 | |
Kenya | Yes | 1963-December-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. Rescinded Nov. 1973, restored Dec. 1988. |
Kiribati | Yes | 1984-May-21 | |
Kuwait | No | n/a | Denies Israeli passports. |
Kyrgyzstan | Yes | 1992-March-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Laos | Yes | 1957-February-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. Rescinded 1973, restired Dec. 1993. |
Latvia | Yes | 1992-January-06 | |
Lebanon | No | n/a | Denies Israeli passports. Also denies entry to anyone whose passport includes Israel stamp. |
Lesotho | Yes | n/a | |
Liberia | Yes | 1949-February-11 | Rescinded Nov. 1973, restored Aug. 1983. |
Libya | No | n/a | Denies Israeli passports. |
Liechtenstein | Yes | 1992-January-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Lithuania | Yes | 1992-January-08 | |
Luxembourg | Yes | 1949-May-11 | |
Madagascar | Yes | n/a | Original date unverified. Rescinded Oct. 1983, restored Jan. 1994. |
Malawi | Yes | 1964-July-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Malaysia | No | n/a | Denies Israeli passports. Malaysian passports are denied by Israel. |
Maldives | No | 1965-October-29 | Granted 1965, but rescinded 1974. |
Mali | No | n/a | Granted, but rescinded Jan. 1973. |
Malta | Yes | 1965-January-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Marshall Islands | Yes | 1987-September-16 | |
Mauritania | No | 1999-October-28 | Granted 1999, but rescinded Mar. 2010. |
Mauritius | Yes | 1993-September-29 | Rescinded July 1976, restored Sept. 1993. |
Mexico | Yes | 1949-May-11 | |
Micronesia | Yes | 1988-November-23 | |
Moldova | Yes | 1992-June-22 | |
Monaco | Yes | 1964-January-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Mongolia | Yes | 1991-October-02 | |
Montenegro | Yes | 2006-July-12 | |
Morocco | Yes | 1994-November-01 | Rescinded Oct. 2000, restored Dec. 2020. |
Mozambique | Yes | 1993-July-23 | |
Myanmar | Yes | 1953-July-13 | |
Namibia | Yes | 1994-February-11 | |
Nauru | Yes | 1994-December-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Nepal | Yes | 1960-June-01 | |
Netherlands | Yes | 1949-May-11 | |
New Zealand | Yes | 1949-January-29 | |
Nicaragua | Yes | 1948-May-18 | Rescinded Jun. 2010, restored Mar. 2017. |
Niger | No | n/a | Original date unverified. Rescinded Jan. 1973. |
Nigeria | Yes | 1960-January-01 | Precise month and day unconfirmed. Rescinded Oct. 1973, restored May 1992. |
North Korea | No | n/a | |
North Macedonia | Yes | 1992-December-07 | As Macedonia. |
Norway | Yes | 1949-February-04 | |
Oman | No | 1996-January-28 | Rescinded Oct. 2000. |
Pakistan | No | n/a | Denies Israeli passports. Pakistani passports are denied by Israel. |
Palau | Yes | 1994-October-02 | |
Palestine | Yes | 1993-January-01 | Palestine itself has only limited recognition and is a non-member observer in the United Nations. Precise month and day unverified. |
Panama | Yes | 1948-June-19 | |
Papua New Guinea | Yes | n/a | |
Paraguay | Yes | 1948-September-06 | |
Peru | Yes | 1949-February-09 | |
Philippines | Yes | 1949-May-11 | |
Poland | Yes | 1948-May-18 | Rescinded 1967, restored Feb. 1990. |
Portugal | Yes | 1977-May-12 | |
Qatar | No | 1996-April-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. Rescinded Feb. 2009. Denies Israeli passports. |
Republic of the Congo | Yes | 1960-November-09 | Rescinded Dec. 1972, restored Oct. 1991. |
Romania | Yes | 1948-June-11 | |
Russia | Yes | 1948-May-17 | As U.S.S.R. Rescinded 1967, restored Oct. 1991. |
Rwanda | Yes | n/a | Original date unverified. Rescinded Oct. 1973, restored Oct. 1994. |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | Yes | 1984-January-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Saint Lucia | Yes | 1979-January-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Yes | 1981-January-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Samoa | Yes | 1977-June-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
San Marino | Yes | 1995-March-01 | |
Sao Tome and Principe | Yes | 1993-November-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Saudi Arabia | No | n/a | Denies Israeli passports. |
Senegal | Yes | 1960-January-01 | Precise month and day unconfirmed. Rescinded Oct. 1973, restored Aug. 1994. |
Serbia | Yes | 1948-May-18 | |
Seychelles | Yes | 1992-September-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Sierra Leone | Yes | n/a | Original date unverified. Rescinded Oct. 1973, restored May 1992. |
Singapore | Yes | 1969-May-11 | |
Slovakia | Yes | 1948-May-18 | As Czechoslovakia. Rescinded June 1967, restored Jan. 1993. |
Slovenia | Yes | 1992-April-28 | |
Solomon Islands | Yes | 1989-January-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Somalia | No | n/a | |
South Africa | Yes | 1948-May-24 | |
South Korea | Yes | 1962-April-10 | |
South Sudan | Yes | 2011-July-28 | |
Spain | Yes | 1986-January-17 | |
Sri Lanka | Yes | 1950-September-16 | |
Sudan | Yes | 2020-October-23 | |
Suriname | Yes | 1976-February-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Sweden | Yes | 1949-February-15 | |
Switzerland | Yes | 1949-January-25 | |
Syria | No | n/a | Denies Israeli passports. |
Tajikistan | Yes | 1992-April-01 | |
Tanzania | Yes | n/a | Original date unverified. Rescinded Oct. 1973, restored Feb. 1995. |
Thailand | Yes | 1950-September-26 | |
Timor-Leste | Yes | 2002-August-29 | |
Togo | Yes | n/a | Rescinded Sept 1973, restored June 1987. |
Tonga | Yes | 1977-June-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Trinidad and Tobago | Yes | 1962-January-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Tunisia | No | 1994-October-03 | Granted 1994, but rescinded Oct. 2000. |
Turkey | Yes | 1949-March-28 | |
Turkmenistan | Yes | 1993-October-06 | |
Tuvalu | Yes | 1984-July-01 | Precise day of month unconfirmed. |
Uganda | Yes | n/a | Original date unverified. Rescinded Mar. 1972, restored July 1994. |
Ukraine | Yes | 1949-May-11 | |
United Arab Emirates | Yes | 2020-September-15 | |
United Kingdom | Yes | 1949-May-13 | |
United States | Yes | 1948-May-14 | |
Uruguay | Yes | 1948-May-19 | |
Uzbekistan | Yes | 1992-February-21 | |
Vanuatu | Yes | 1993-December-16 | |
Vatican City | Yes | 1994-June-15 | Vatican City is a non-member observer state in the United Nations. |
Venezuela | No | 1948-June-27 | Granted 1948, but rescinded Jan. 2009. |
Vietnam | Yes | 1993-July-12 | |
Yemen | No | n/a | Denies Israeli passports. |
Zambia | Yes | n/a | Original date unverified. Rescinded Oct. 1973, restored Dec. 1991. |
Zimbabwe | Yes | 1993-November-26 |