THE BBC has issued a correction and apology after it incorrectly deflated the number of European countries which recognise the state of Palestine.

In May, the broadcaster reported on Ireland, Norway, and Spain saying they would formally recognise the state of Palestine, a move which sparked fury from Israel.

That same month, the United Nations General Assembly voted by 143 to nine in favour of Palestine joining the UN – which only states can do.

In total a majority of the world’s countries, around 139, have recognised Palestine.

But the BBC reported that, before Ireland, Norway, and Spain’s announcement: “Only nine European countries recognise a Palestinian state.”

In fact, 17 European countries had recognised Palestine as a state: Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Hungary, Iceland, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Montenegro, Albania, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and Vatican City.

Slovenia has now also recognised Palestine. Czechia has not, but predecessor state Czechoslovakia did.

In a correction on its website, the BBC claimed it had given the incorrect figure as it had been intending to only talk about “members of the European Union”.

The BBC report had focused on Ireland and Spain, which are in the EU, and Norway, which is not.

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The correction on the BBC website stated: “In an item about Ireland, Norway, and Spain saying they would formally recognise a Palestinian state, we incorrectly said that before this announcement ‘only nine European countries recognise a Palestinian stat’” and showed them on a map in the studio.

“The intention was to talk about countries that are members of the European Union, not all 17 European countries that had recognised the state of Palestine at that point.

“We apologise for this error.”