Ireland, Spain and Norway all announced on May 22 that they planned to recognize Palestinian statehood on the aforementioned date. Dublin, Madrid and Oslo painted the decision as a move aimed at accelerating efforts to secure a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Palestine war in the Gaza Strip. They also urged other countries to follow suit.
"We hope that our recognition and our reasons contribute to other Western countries following this path because the more we are, the more strength we will have to impose a ceasefire, to achieve the release of the hostages held by Hamas [and] to relaunch the political process that can lead to a peace agreement," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told the Spanish Parliament.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said the only possible political solution between Israelis and Palestinians was "two states living side by side in peace and security." Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide remarked that while he did not expect the recognition to stop the war in Gaza, it was a "key component" for an Arab-led peace initiative.
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris told reporters at a press conference in the capital Dublin that Ireland remained unequivocal in recognizing Israel's right to exist "securely and in peace with its neighbors. He also called for the release of all hostages abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7 in Gaza to be freed.
The Palestinian National Authority (PA) and Hamas both welcomed the decision. The PA administers the West Bank, while Hamas – formally the Islamic Resistance Movement – has ruled the Gaza Strip since driving the authority out of the area in 2007.
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"About 144 of the 193 member-states of the United Nations recognize Palestine as a state – including most of the global south, Russia, China and India. But only a handful of the 27 European Union members have done so, mostly former communist countries as well as Sweden and Cyprus," Reuters noted. (Related: UN General Assembly backs Palestine’s bid for FULL MEMBERSHIP.)
Tel Aviv angry at recognition of Palestinian statehood
The outlet added that the U.K. and Australia are also set to recognize Palestinian statehood. Malta and Slovenia, both EU members, could also follow suit. In contrast, the U.S. – Israel's main ally – has reiterated that a Palestinian state should be realized through direct negotiations, not "unilateral recognition."
The three nations' decision infuriated Tel Aviv, which argued that the recognition of Palestinian statehood amounts to rewarding Hamas for its Oct. 7 Operation Al-Aqsa Flood attack.
"The intention of several European countries to recognize a Palestinian state is a reward for terrorism," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. "Rewarding terrorism will not bring peace, and neither will it stop us from defeating Hamas."
According to the Israeli leader, a Palestinian state "would be a terrorist state." He continued: "It would try to carry out the Oct. 7 massacre again and again – and that, we shall not agree to."
Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz denounced the decision by the three countries, warning that it would carry "severe consequences." He also ordered the recall of the Israeli ambassadors to Spain, Ireland and Norway for consultations.
While several nations expressed support for Palestinian statehood, Germany and France did not agree just yet. Berlin argued that it was a matter that required further dialogue, while Paris reiterated that conditions had not been met.
According to Alon Liel, a critic of Netanyahu and former director general of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the move by the three nations could have an important impact on Israeli public opinion. He told Reuters that equalizing the status of Israel and Palestine in the international sphere was "a nightmare for the current Israeli leadership" – most especially for Netanyahu, who has rejected a sovereign Palestinian state.
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Watch Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov calling for the relaunch of the peace process to create an independent Palestine state.
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