Today, the leaders of EU countries Ireland, Norway, and Spain announced their decision to recognize the state of Palestine. This decision will come into force on May 28.
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Today, the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, was the first to make a statement, saying that peace in the Middle East cannot be established without the recognition of Palestine.
“By recognising a Palestinian state, we are supporting the Arab peace plan,” he said, adding that the Scandinavian country “will consider Palestine to be an independent state with the rights and duties this entails.”
“Norway intends to continue its close contact with the Israeli authorities. Norway was one of the first countries to recognise the state of Israel in 1949. Israel is in a vulnerable security situation, and Norway recognises Israel’s legitimate right to defend itself, within the framework of international law.
We believe that the two-state solution is in Israel’s best interests. It will help to establish a more peaceful, safe and stable region,” said the prime minister
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris also believes that the recognition of Palestine will promote peace and reconciliation in the Middle East. He stated that Ireland understands, from its own experience, the importance of recognition as “an act of powerful political and symbolic value.”
“On the 21st of January 1919 Ireland asked the world to recognise our right to be an independent State. Our ‘Message to the Free Nations of the World’ was a plea for international recognition of our independence, emphasising our distinct national identity, our historical struggle, and our right to self-determination and justice. Today we use the same language to support the recognition of Palestine as a State. We do so because we ‘believe in freedom and justice as the fundamental principles of international law’, and because we believe that ‘permanent peace’ can only be secured ‘upon the basis of the free will of a free people’,” The Irish Prime Minister said and remarked that the Palestinian people, like Israel, deserve a future full of hope, success, and peace.
“We equally recognise the state of Palestine and its right to exist in peace and security within internationally agreed borders. Recognising the statehood of Palestine sends a message that there is a viable alternative to the nihilism of Hamas. Hamas has nothing to offer but pain and suffering to Israelis and Palestinians alike. I look forward to continuing to work with them on our shared objective of delivering long overdue peace and prosperity to the people of Israel and Palestine and the wider Middle East. Ireland will always stand with all those ready to walk a political pathway to peace and we will do everything in our power to help to bring it about,” noted the Prime Minister of Ireland.
The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, announced the recognition of Palestine during his speech in Parliament, which was met with legislators standing up and applauding.
"Spain will officially recognize the independence of Palestine on May 28, which is the will of the majority of the Spanish people. It is time to move from words to action. Peace, justice, and coherence are the basis of our historic choices," Sánchez said.
The Spanish Prime Minister noted that the decision was not taken against Israel or in favor of Hamas, but for peace.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu is still turning a blind eye and bombing hospitals, schools, homes,” the Spanish leader said. “He is still using hunger, cold and terror to punish more than a million innocent boys and girls – and things have gone so far that prosecutors at the international criminal court have this week sought his arrest for war crimes.
Those countries that defend human rights and rule-based international law are obliged to act – in Ukraine and in Palestine – without double standards,” said Sánchez.
The decision of the three European countries was followed by a sharp and immediate reaction from Israel. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to recall ambassadors from all three countries. Minister Israel Katz said that Israel will not remain silent in the face of those who undermine its sovereignty and threaten its security.
"Today’s decision sends a message to the Palestinians and the world: terrorism pays. After the Hamas terror organisation carried out the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, after committing heinous sexual crimes witnessed by the world, these countries chose to reward Hamas and Iran by recognizing a Palestinian state," said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel. He added that "there will be severe consequences.”
At least 140 of the 193 UN member states recognize the State of Palestine. The United States of America, Great Britain, France, and Germany are not among them. Currently, 9 out of the 27 EU members have recognized Palestinian statehood, although the majority of countries did so before joining the bloc. In 2014, Sweden became the first EU member state to recognize the state of Palestine. Georgia made this decision in 1992.
