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The State of Palestine was unilaterally proclaimed on November 15, 1988, by the Palestinian National Council, the legislative body of the PLO, in Tunis.
At the time, the PLO did not have control over any part of Palestine (or any other territory), and therefore the State of Palestine did not fulfill one of the typical requirements for an autonomous state - namely, being in possession of sovereign territory. However, the declaration laid claim to the whole of Palestine, as defined by the British Mandate of Palestine, which includes the whole of Israel.
The State of Palestine was recognized immediately by the Arab League and many other countries; about two-thirds of the world's countries recognize it today. The State maintains embassies in these countries (which are generally Palestine Liberation Organization delegations).
The State of Palestine is not currently recognized by the United Nations or by any Western country. However, some European Union countries (including the United Kingdom) maintain diplomatic ties with the Palestinian Authority, established under the auspices of the Oslo Accords.
The 2003 Road map for peace calls for a series of steps, each contingent on the previous steps, leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state. Included among these steps is dismantling of Palestinian terrorist groups by the Palestinian Authority. Additional steps are required of both Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
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