Spain, Norway and Ireland said on Wednesday they would recognize an independent Palestinian state, a rebuke to Israel over its war in Gaza and decades of occupation of Palestinian territories. Palestine.
Although many countries have recognized Palestinian statehood, the announcements of close coordination by the three countries have added weight amid the rising death toll in Israel’s military offensive. in Gaza and because most Western European countries oppose its recognition.
The moves are likely to have little immediate impact on the living conditions of Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank or in Gaza, where health authorities say more than 35,000 people have died over seven months. bombed by Israel and fought on the ground. But the view in a growing number of capitals that Palestinian statehood cannot wait for a lasting peace agreement with Israel is a strong signal of international patience with Israel’s policies. is gradually decreasing.
“Palestinians have a fundamental, independent right to an independent state,” Jonas Gahr Store, Norway’s prime minister, said at a news conference in Oslo announcing the decision, which will take effect on Tuesday.
Spain’s decision will take effect the same day, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said, adding that Spain was forced to act because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has no long-term peace plan with the Palestinians.
“The two-state solution is in danger,” Mr. Sanchez said in a speech to Congress, referring to a proposed framework to establish an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. “It is time to move from words to actions – to tell millions of innocent, suffering Palestinians that we are with them and there is hope,” he added.
Prime Minister Simon Harris of Ireland said at a news conference that he was confident that other countries would join them in recognizing Palestinian statehood in the coming weeks.
More 140 countries and the Holy See has recognized a Palestinian state, but most Western European countries and the United States do not. They say recognition must be achieved through negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, and while they support a two-state solution, unilateral third-party measures will not advance that goal .
Israel strongly opposes international recognition of a Palestinian state – Mr. Netanyahu has called the establishment of such a state “present danger” – and asserts that Israel Need to negotiate directly with Palestinian leaders about a lasting solution.
On Wednesday, in response to the announcement, Israel recalled its ambassadors from Spain, Norway and Ireland for consultations.
“Today’s decision sends a message to Palestinians and the world: Terrorism has a price,” said Foreign Minister Israel Katz.
Members of the Palestinian leadership based in the West Bank welcomed the announcements. “We believe it will help preserve the two-state solution and give Palestinians hope that they will have a state,” Ziad Abu Amr, a senior Palestinian official, said in an interview. side by side with Israel in peace and security.”
Hamas, the group that led the October 7 attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza, also praised the announcements, calling them “an important step on the path to asserting rights to our land.” I”.
For many countries, the arguments against Israeli recognition are less convincing than they once were: Most of Israel’s right-wing governments oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state and serious negotiations on A two-state solution has not been organized for more than a decade. a decade.
Some observers argue that by not recognizing a Palestinian state, the West has enabled a far-right Israeli agenda that opposes its existence. It “creates leverage for Israel to continue to encroach on the land, resources and people of the other country,” Husam Zomlot, Palestinian envoy to Britain, said in a recent interview.
Wednesday’s announcement was the latest blow to Israel on the international stage and came days after the incident. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court requested an arrest warrant on behalf of Netanyahu and Israel’s Defense Minister, along with Hamas leaders, on war crimes charges stemming from the October 7 attacks and Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
Spain, Ireland and Norway are both strongly critical of Israel’s conduct of war and have historically been strong supporters of the Palestinians. All three continued to finance UNRWA, the United Nations’ main agency helping Palestinian refugees, after Israel accused about a dozen of its employees in connection with the October 7 attack.
In Ireland, support for the Palestinians has deep roots; In Spain, Mr. Sanchez is a leading voice in Europe in defense of Palestinian rights.
Norway has historically considered itself a mediator between Israel and Palestine. In 1993, the country hosted secret meetings that led to the Oslo Accords, a peace framework that nearly resolved the conflict, but ultimately failed.
Aaron the boxer, Henrik Pryser libel, Adam Rasgon And Victoria Kim Report contributions.
