List of Countries Supporting Israel

Which Countries Supported Israel?

In a recent development, there has been a significant uptick in worldwide support for Israel, with a total of 84 countries openly declaring their endorsement. Among these nations are prominent players such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Norway, Austria, Germany, India, Canada, Poland, Spain, and even the European Union as a collective entity. The majority of these countries have affirmed their backing of Israel’s legitimate right to self-defense, particularly in the face of challenges presented by groups like Hamas.

Understanding “which countries are supporting Israel” and the intricacies of the Hamas-Israel conflict is paramount to grasp the current Middle East dynamics. With 84 nations backing Israel and several others supporting Hamas, the situation remains intricate. As the geopolitical landscape continues to shift, staying informed is more important than ever.

Where Does Israel Get Its Oil?

Which countries are supporting Israel?

Amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, which has entered its third day on Monday, nations across the globe have demonstrated their support for Israel, while others have extended their backing to the Palestinian armed group.

Countries Supporting Israel	Countries Supporting Not Supporting Isreal
The US	Iran
The UK	Qatar
Australia	Turkey
France	Lebanon
Norway	Syria
Austria	Yemen
Germany	Arab League
India	Jordan
Canada
Poland

International Recognition of Israel

The establishment of the State of Israel occurred through the Israeli Declaration of Independence on 14 May 1948, and it gained full membership in the United Nations (UN) on 11 May 1949. As of December 2020, approximately 85% of the total UN member states, amounting to 165 countries, have diplomatically recognized Israel. The nation also maintains bilateral relations with all members of the Permanent Five. Conversely, 28 member states have either never acknowledged Israel or have withdrawn their recognition. Some countries have severed diplomatic ties without explicitly retracting their acknowledgment. Furthermore, several non-recognizing nations, particularly those in the Muslim world, have contested Israel’s existence, primarily due to deep-seated animosity arising from the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and the Arab–Israeli conflict.

Foreign Relations of Israel

Israel has diplomatic relations with 164 out of 192 UN member states as of December 2020 and is a member of various international organizations. Notably, it has peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan and established diplomatic ties with four Arab League countries in 2020. Israel’s foreign relations are shaped by its strategic position, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and tensions with Iran. The nation aims to overcome diplomatic isolation, achieve recognition, and build friendly relations worldwide through open and secret diplomacy. Key foreign policy goals include fostering Jewish immigration, aiding developing countries, and ensuring the well-being of Jewish communities globally.

The longstanding alliance with the United States is pivotal, and historical ties with Iran existed until 1979. Israel has maintained warm relations with China, balancing ties between Israel and the Muslim world. The European Union’s growing influence has raised concerns, leading to enhanced relations with countries like Greece, Cyprus, China, and India. While relations with some countries like Turkey have been strained, ties with Egypt have improved over time.

Membership in international organizations

Israel’s initial foray into international organizations took place in the early days of 1949 when it became a member of the International Wheat Council under the Point Four Program. Subsequently, Israel has maintained its membership in the United Nations since May 11, 1949.

Israel actively participates in various UN agencies, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). In addition, Israel engages with international bodies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). However, in 2019, Israel, in coordination with the United States, withdrew from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Within UNESCO, Israel was actively involved in numerous international programs and organizations related to science, including the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), the International Hydrological Programme (IHP), the International Centre for Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science Applications in the Middle East (SESAME), and the International Geoscience Programme (IGCP).

Israel’s engagement extends to various other organizations, including the Education For All movement, the European Centre for Higher Education (CEPES), the World Heritage Committee (WHC), the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). These relations are managed through the Israeli National Commission for UNESCO.

Israel has been a member of the European Union’s Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development (FP) since 1994, participating in entities such as the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). Additionally, Israel has been a member of the Bank for International Settlement (BIS) since 2003.

In 2010, Israel received an invitation to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Furthermore, Israel is part of NATO’s Mediterranean Dialogue forum and, as of 2014, a member of the Paris Club.

After more than 50 years of not being associated with a regional grouping in the UN, Israel joined the Western European and Others group temporarily in 2000 and became a permanent member in 2014.

Diplomatic relations of Israel

After the formation of the State of Israel in 1948, the country faced boycotts from the Arab League and efforts to diplomatically isolate it. As of 2020, Israel maintains diplomatic relations with 164 out of the other 192 member states of the United Nations, as well as with the Holy See, Kosovo, the Cook Islands, and Niue. Some nations recognize Israel as a state but do not have diplomatic ties. While certain countries once had diplomatic relations with Israel, they have since terminated or suspended them. For instance, Cuba and Venezuela in Latin America, Mauritania in the Arab League, Mali and Niger in non-Arab Africa, the Maldives in South Asia, and Iran until the Islamic revolution. Additionally, some countries, all members of the Arab League, previously had formal economic ties (mostly trade offices) with Israel that fell short of full diplomatic relations, but later severed such ties (Morocco, Oman, Qatar, and Tunisia; however, Morocco renewed ties and established diplomatic relations in 2020).

List of countries with which Israel maintains diplomatic relations with

#	Country	Date
1	Guatemala	15 May 1948
2	Nicaragua	18 May 1948
3	Uruguay	18 May 1948
4	Poland	19 May 1948
5	Hungary	24 May 1948
6	Russia	26 May 1948
7	El Salvador	May 1948
8	Romania	11 June 1948
9	Czech Republic	3 July 1948
10	Serbia	25 November 1948
11	Bulgaria	29 November 1948
12	Australia	29 January 1949
13	Dominican Republic	January 1949
14	Paraguay	January 1949
15	United States	28 March 1949
16	France	11 May 1949
17	Argentina	31 May 1949
18	Brazil	1949
19	Belgium	15 January 1950
20	Luxembourg	16 January 1950
21	Netherlands	16 January 1950
22	Italy	22 January 1950
23	Honduras	January 1950
24	Turkey	January 1950
25	United Kingdom	27 April 1950
26	Chile	16 May 1950
27	Denmark	12 July 1950
28	Sweden	12 July 1950
29	Norway	19 July 1950
30	Finland	14 November 1950
31	Iceland	10 December 1950
32	New Zealand	17 January 1951
33	Switzerland	25 June 1951
34	Japan	15 May 1952
35	Mexico	1 July 1952
—	Venezuela (suspended)	21 November 1952
36	Myanmar	13 July 1953
37	Thailand	28 June 1954
38	Canada	28 July 1954
39	Costa Rica	22 October 1954
—	Cuba (suspended)	1954
40	Austria	21 February 1956
41	Ecuador	18 June 1957
42	Colombia	1 July 1957
43	Philippines	9 August 1957
44	Ghana	October 1957
45	Liberia	December 1957
46	Peru	1 January 1958
47	Sri Lanka	1 January 1958
48	Haiti	12 September 1958
49	Cambodia	16 February 1959
50	Guinea	24 August 1959
51	Nepal	1 June 1960
52	Democratic Republic of the Congo	26 June 1960
—	Mali (suspended)	28 June 1960
53	Madagascar	1 July 1960
54	Cyprus	17 August 1960
55	Togo	September 1960
56	Nigeria	October 1960
57	Republic of the Congo	9 November 1960
58	Senegal	10 November 1960
59	Gabon	15 November 1960
60	Chad	10 January 1961
—	Bolivia (suspended)	26 April 1961
61	Ivory Coast	24 May 1961
62	Sierra Leone	1 June 1961
63	Burkina Faso	5 July 1961
64	Ethiopia	24 October 1961
—	Niger (suspended)	9 November 1961
65	Central African Republic	10 November 1961
66	Tanzania	20 November 1961
67	Benin	5 December 1961
68	Trinidad and Tobago	January 1962
69	South Korea	10 April 1962
70	Rwanda	1 July 1962
71	Jamaica	29 August 1962
72	Burundi	22 December 1962
73	Kenya	10 December 1963
74	Ireland	25 January 1964
75	Malawi	15 July 1964
76	Cameroon	4 September 1964
77	Zambia	17 March 1965
78	Germany	10 May 1965
79	Gambia	3 June 1965
—	Maldives (suspended)	29 October 1965
81	Malta	December 1965
82	Lesotho	4 October 1966
83	Barbados	29 August 1967
84	Mauritius	23 April 1968
85	Eswatini	September 1968
86	Equatorial Guinea	1968
87	Singapore	11 May 1969
88	Fiji	10 October 1970
89	Samoa	30 May 1972
90	Botswana	December 1972
91	Bahamas	24 September 1974
92	Grenada	January 1975
93	South Africa	January 1975
94	Suriname	24 February 1976
95	Panama	18 June 1976
96	Portugal	12 May 1977
97	Tonga	June 1977
98	Dominica	January 1978
99	Papua New Guinea	1 May 1978
100	Saint Lucia	January 1979
101	Egypt	26 March 1979
102	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	January 1981
103	Antigua and Barbuda	22 June 1983
104	Saint Kitts and Nevis	January 1984
105	Kiribati	21 May 1984
106	Tuvalu	July 1984
107	Belize	11 March 1985
108	Spain	17 January 1986
109	Marshall Islands	16 September 1987
110	Federated States of Micronesia	23 November 1988
111	Solomon Islands	1 January 1989
112	Greece	21 May 1990
113	Albania	19 August 1991
114	Mongolia	2 October 1991
115	Ukraine	26 December 1991
116	Latvia	6 January 1992
117	Lithuania	8 January 1992
118	Estonia	9 January 1992
119	India	21 January 1992
120	China	25 January 1992
121	Uzbekistan	21 February 1992
122	Kyrgyzstan	4 March 1992
123	Guyana	9 March 1992
124	Belarus	26 March 1992
125	Tajikistan	26 March 1992
126	Armenia	4 April 1992
127	Azerbaijan	7 April 1992
128	Kazakhstan	10 April 1992
129	Angola	16 April 1992
130	Slovenia	28 April 1992
131	Liechtenstein	5 May 1992
132	Georgia	1 June 1992
133	Moldova	22 June 1992
134	Seychelles	30 June 1992
135	Slovakia	1 January 1993
136	Eritrea	24 May 1993
137	Vietnam	12 July 1993
138	Mozambique	26 July 1993
139	Vanuatu	16 September 1993
140	Turkmenistan	8 October 1993
141	São Tomé and Príncipe	16 November 1993
142	Zimbabwe	26 November 1993
143	Laos	6 December 1993
144	Namibia	21 January 1994
145	Guinea-Bissau	10 March 1994
146	Andorra	13 April 1994
—	Holy See	15 June 1994
147	Cape Verde	27 July 1994
148	Palau	2 October 1994
149	Jordan	26 October 1994
150	Nauru	December 1994
151	Morocco	1 September 1995
152	San Marino	30 October 1995
153	North Macedonia	7 December 1995
154	Croatia	4 September 1997
155	Bosnia and Herzegovina	4 September 1997
—	Mauritania (suspended)	28 October 1999
156	East Timor	May 2002
157	Montenegro	12 July 2006
158	Monaco	30 November 2006
—	Cook Islands	April 2008
159	South Sudan	28 July 2011
160	Bahrain	11 September 2020
161	United Arab Emirates	11 September 2020
162	Bhutan	12 December 2020
—	Kosovo	1 February 2021
—	Niue	3 August 2023
163	Uganda	Unknown

Israel No Diplomatic Relations

As of 2020, diplomatic relations with Israel are not maintained by 28 United Nations member states. The periods during which former relations existed are indicated in parentheses:

• Africa: Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Libya, Mali (1960–1973), Mauritania (2000–2009), Niger (1960–1973, 1996–2002), Somalia, Tunisia (trade relations 1996–2000) (Algeria, Libya, and Somalia do not acknowledge Israel.)
• Americas: Cuba (1950–1973), Venezuela (1950–2009), and Bolivia (1950–2009; 2019–2023)
• East Asia: North Korea (Does not recognize Israel as a state.)
• Middle East: Iran (1948–1951, 1953–1979), Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman (trade relations 1996–2000), Qatar (trade relations 1996–2009), Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen do not recognize Israel as a state.)
• South and Central Asia: Afghanistan and Bangladesh, Maldives (1965–1974), Pakistan (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan do not recognize Israel as a state.)
• Southeast Asia: Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia

States and Entities Without Diplomatic Relations with Israel

Israel maintains no diplomatic relations with the following states or entities:

• Taiwan (Republic of China): While Taiwan recognizes Israel, official diplomatic relations are absent due to Israel’s acknowledgment of the People’s Republic of China. Unofficial relations exist.
• States with Limited Recognition: Israel does not recognize the independence of the following entities, and therefore, diplomatic relations are nonexistent: Abkhazia, Artsakh, Northern Cyprus, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Somaliland, South Ossetia, Transnistria.
• Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Israel lacks diplomatic relations with the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

Limited Relations

• The nation of Comoros does not maintain official diplomatic ties with Israel. However, the two countries actively engage in mutual trade relations.
• Furthermore, Israeli citizens are permitted entry into North Korea using their Israeli passports. Similar to other foreign visitors, they are required to deposit their passports with local authorities and use specially issued local documents during their stay.

Present situation

As of December 2020, Israel is recognized by 165 out of 193 UN member states, while 28 countries, including 15 members of the Arab League, 10 non-Arab members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela, do not recognize Israel. The Arab League proposed recognizing Israel in 2002 as part of the Arab Peace Initiative. The Abraham Accords in September 2020 between Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain were criticized by the Palestinian National Authority as a betrayal to the Palestinian cause.

Certain countries, such as Bangladesh, Brunei, Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan, do not accept Israeli passports for travel. Additionally, 13 countries, including Algeria, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, do not accept Israeli passports, and some also reject passports with Israeli visas or stamps. To address this, Israeli immigration avoids stamping passports and instead uses separate inserts.

Some countries prohibit direct flights and overflights to and from Israel. However, in August 2020, the UAE allowed direct flights from Israel, and Saudi Arabia and Bahrain authorized overflights. In October 2020, Israel and Jordan agreed to permit flights to cross over both countries’ airspace.

In 2017, the Israeli flag and anthem were banned at the International Judo Federation in Abu Dhabi, but the ban was lifted in 2018. In December 2017, seven Israelis were denied visas by Saudi Arabia for an international chess tournament.

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