Summary
Sweden's new center-left government will recognize the state of Palestine in a move that will make it the first major European country to take the step, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said Friday.
The U.N. General Assembly approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine in 2012, but the European Union and most EU countries have yet to give official recognition.
However, there is likely to be strong criticism of Sweden from Israel, as well as from the United States and the EU, which maintain that an independent Palestinian state should only emerge through a negotiated process.
If the center-left government fulfills its plans, Sweden would be the first country to recognize Palestine while being a member of the European Union.
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