Israel International Relations: International Recognition of Israel
On May 14, 1948, the day the British Mandate over Palestine expired, the Jewish People's Council officially approved a proclamation declaring the establishment and independence of the State of Israel.
The United States was the first country to recognize Israel when President Harry Truman granted de-facto recognition eleven minutes after the proclamation of independence. Three days later, the USSR granted Israel de-jure recognition. Nearly a year after its creation, on May 11, 1949, Israel was admitted as the 59th member of the United Nations.
At least 167 of the 193 UN member states officially recognize Israel with the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco, and Bhutan the most recent in 2020. Twenty-nine countries have never recognized Israel, most are Arab/Muslim nations.
May 14, 1948 - December 31, 1948 (21 Countries)
| Country | Date |
| May 14 | |
| Russia (USSR) | May 17 |
| May 18 | |
| May 18 | |
| May 18 | |
| May 18 | |
| May 19 | |
| May 19 | |
| May 24 | |
| May 24 | |
| June 11 | |
| June 11 | |
| June 19 | |
| June 19 | |
| June 27 | |
| September 6 | |
| September 11 | |
| November 8 | |
| December 4 | |
| December 29 |
January 1, 1949 - May 11, 1949 (33 Countries)
| Country | Date | Country | Date |
| January 14 | February 15 | ||
| January 24 | February 22 | ||
| January 25 | February 26 | ||
| January 29 | March 1 | ||
| January 29 | March 15 | ||
| February 1 | March 15 | ||
| February 2 | March 28 | ||
| February 2 | April 16 | ||
| February 4 | May 11 | ||
| February 5 | May 11 | ||
| February 7 | May 11 | ||
| February 8 | May 11 | ||
| February 9 | May 11 | ||
| February 11 | May 11 | ||
| Liberia | February 11 | May 11 | |
| February 12 | May 11 | ||
| February 14 | |||
May 11, 1949 - Present (97 Countries)
| Country | Date | Country | Date | Country | Date |
| Jan 15, 1950 | May 11, 1969 | Jan 9, 1992 | |||
| March 14, 1950 | August 1970 | April 4, 1992 | |||
| Sept 16, 1950 | Sept 24, 1974 | April 7, 1992 | |||
| Sept 17, 1950 | Grenada | January 1975 | April 16, 1992 | ||
| Sept 26, 1950 | February 1976 | May 6, 1993 | |||
| May 15, 1952 | May 12, 1977 | July 12, 1993 | |||
| July 13, 1953 | Tonga | June 1977 | July 23, 1993 | ||
| Feb 1957 | Samoa | June 1977 | Sept 29, 1993 | ||
| 1960 | Dominica | January 1978 | Gabon | Sept 29, 1993 | |
| 1960 | St. Lucia | January 1979 | Oct 6, 1993 | ||
| June 1, 1960 | March 26, 1979 | November 1993 | |||
| June 26, 1960 | St. Vincent | January 1981 | Nov 26, 1993 | ||
| Aug 30, 1960 | Antigua & Barbuda | June 22, 1983 | Vanuatu | Dec 16, 1993 | |
| Sept 15, 1960 | January 1984 | Feb 11, 1994 | |||
| Nov 9, 1960 | Kiribati | May 21, 1984 | Guinea-Bissau | March 1994 | |
| Jan 10, 1961 | Tuvalu | July 1984 | Andorra | April 13, 1994 | |
| Jan 21, 1961 | Belize | Sept 6, 1984 | July 17, 1994 | ||
| Ivory Coast | Feb 15, 1961 | Jan 17, 1986 | Sept 1, 1994 | ||
| Burkina Faso | July 5, 1961 | Marshall Islands | Sept 16, 1987 | Oct 2, 1994 | |
| Oct 24, 1961 | Oct 2, 1991 | Oct 3, 1994 | |||
| Benin | Dec 5, 1961 | January 1992 | Oct 26, 1994 | ||
| January 1962 | Jan 6, 1992 | Nauru | December 1994 | ||
| January 1962 | Jan 8, 1992 | March 1, 1995 | |||
| April 10, 1962 | Feb 21, 1992 | Jan 28, 1996 | |||
| December 1963 | March 1992 | April 1996 | |||
| January 1964 | April 1992 | Sept 4, 1997 | |||
| July 1964 | April 10, 1992 | Sept. 26, 1997 | |||
| January 1965 | April 28, 1992 | Oct 28, 1999 | |||
| May 12, 1965 | June 1, 1992 | Timor-Leste | Aug 29, 2002 | ||
| Aug 29, 1967 | June 22, 1992 | July 12, 2006 | |||
| September 1968 | Seychelles | Sept 1992 | July 28, 2011 | ||
| Macedonia | Dec 7, 1992 | UAE | Sept 15, 2020 | ||
| Bahrain | Sept 15, 2020 | ||||
| Bhutan | Dec 12, 2020 | ||||
| Kosovo | Feb 1, 2021 |
Do Not Recognize Israel (26 Countries)
| Iraq | ||
| Bangladesh | ||
| Brunei | ||
| Comoros | Somalia | |
| Maldives | ||
| Djibouti | ||
| Guinea | Niger | |
| North Korea | ||
**- Iran, Chad, Cuba, Mauritania, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Tunisia, Oman, Qatar, and Venezuela recognized Israel on the above dates but later rescinded that recognition.
***Chad restored ties in 2019. Morocco restored ties in 2020.
Unverified dates of recognition or non-recognition: Lesotho, Ghana, Gambia, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Togo, Tanzania, Zambia, Equatorial Guinea, Botswana, Bhutan, Central African Republic and Burundi
Sources: “International recognition of Israel,” Wikipedia.
Sabir Shah, “30 countries, including Pakistan, still do not recognise Israel,” The News, (August 22, 2020).
Ben Simon, “Kosovo establishes Israel ties, to open embassy in Jerusalem,” AFP, (February 1, 2021).
News reports.
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