Relationship dossier
Vatican City
Palestine
Relationship assessment
Diplomatic ties, church-related agreements and support for a negotiated two-state solution characterize relations.
Vatican City toward Palestine
+45The Holy See maintains diplomatic relations with Palestine and concluded an agreement addressing the Catholic Church’s legal and institutional activities there. It has also supported Palestinian self-determination and a negotiated two-state solution.
Palestine toward Vatican City
+40Palestine has engaged the Holy See through diplomatic relations and concluded an agreement with it concerning the Catholic Church’s activities in Palestine.
Overall relationship
+45Diplomatic engagement is reinforced by a bilateral agreement concerning the Catholic Church’s activities in Palestine and the Holy See’s support for a negotiated political settlement. These arrangements indicate substantive cooperation, though the relationship’s practical scope is concentrated in diplomacy and church affairs.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The Holy See and Palestine maintain diplomatic relations and have developed formal cooperation concerning the Catholic Church’s legal and institutional life in Palestine. The Holy See has also supported Palestinian self-determination and a negotiated two-state solution. The relationship combines diplomatic engagement with practical arrangements for church affairs.
Key developments
The Holy See and Palestine signed an agreement concerning essential aspects of the life and activity of the Catholic Church in Palestine.
The agreement between the Holy See and Palestine entered into force.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of the bilateral agreement on the Catholic Church’s activities are unclear.
- The extent of ongoing practical cooperation beyond diplomatic engagement and church-related arrangements is uncertain.