Saint Kitts recognizes Palestine as state

The tiny Caribbean islands nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis became the 138th country to recognize Palestine as a state on Monday.

The country’s prime minister and foreign minister, Mark Brantley, announced the decision on his Facebook page. He posted a photograph of himself with Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riad Malki, who visited the country for the occasion.

Saint Kitts and Nevis “remains a friend to all and will continue to lend its voice to the realization of global peace and security,” Malki said.

The move gives the PA a public relations victory in advance of the anticipated roll-out of the political portion of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan. The economic section of the plan was published last month and a US-led workshop was held in Manama, Bahrain.

Trump’s son-in-law and special envoy, Jared Kushner, is due to arrive in Israel in the coming days to promote the plan.

The Palestinian Authority has urged the international community to grant it unilateral statehood, and has called on the UN to recognize it as one of its 195 member states. Such a move would need the approval of the UN Security Council. The PA’s unilateral statehood quest is stymied by the US, which has veto power in the UNSC and is expected to block any such move.

The UN General Assembly in 2012 granted the Palestinians de facto statehood, by recognizing it as a non-member state of the UN. Saint Kitts and Nevis is one of 138 nations which approved that 2012 UNGA resolution.

Saint Kitts and Nevis has diplomatic ties with 96 countries, including Israel.

The Foreign Ministry said it had no response.