Mass Support Among Germans for the Recognition of a Palestinian State
A majority of Germans (54%) now support the immediate recognition of Palestine as a state, according to a recent survey conducted by the Forsa Institute for the foreign policy journal Internationale Politik. The remaining 31% opposed recognition.
The survey, conducted at the end of July 2022, included 1,001 participants in Germany. Support varies across political party lines and regions:
- It is highest among The Left party supporters (85%).
- Next are Green Party supporters (66%) and Social Democrats (SPD) supporters (52%).
- Support is lower among the conservative CDU/CSU (48%) and the far-right AfD (45%).
- Regionally, support is slightly stronger in eastern Germany (59%) compared to western Germany (53%).
Demographically, younger Germans (ages 18-29) and older adults (60+) show the strongest support (around 60% and 58%, respectively).
Despite this public opinion, the current German government rejects recognizing Palestine as a state, maintaining that recognition should come only after a negotiated peace agreement leading to a two-state solution. Additionally, a majority of Germans want their government to exert more pressure on Israel regarding its policies in Gaza.
The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is on the brink of collapse, and the two-state solution is further away than ever, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres. As of the writing, approximately 150 out of 193 member states of the United Nations have recognized Palestine as a state.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has threatened to recognize Palestine as a state, joining France's President Emmanuel Macron, who has announced plans to recognize Palestine as a state in the fall. More states are considering recognizing Palestine as a state in light of Israel's military operations.
The German government supports a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, but believes that legal recognition of Palestine should come at the end of the negotiating process towards a two-state solution. Israel has conducted military operations in the Gaza Strip, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths.
In summary, there is broad public support across Germany for Palestine's state recognition, particularly among left-leaning parties and younger voters, while the government remains cautious, emphasizing peace negotiations as a precondition.
- The German community policy reflects the government's cautious stance on recognizing Palestine as a state, prioritizing peace negotiations before legal recognition.
- The polling data reveals that a significant number of Germans, particularly those affiliated with left-leaning parties and the younger demographic, express support for employment of a general-news policy that advocates immediate recognition of Palestine as a state.
