Ireland, Norway, and Spain Officially Recognize Palestine as a State

Norway, Ireland, and Spain, all members of the European Union (EU), have officially declared their recognition of Palestine as a state.

According to major foreign media on the 22nd (local time), the prime ministers of the three countries held separate press conferences on the day to announce this. Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of Norway, stated that Norway will officially recognize Palestine as a state starting from the 28th, expressing hope that this measure will contribute to peace between Israel and Palestine. He emphasized, "Palestine has the right to establish an independent state."

Accordingly, there appears to be a growing movement to implement the "two-state solution," considered the ultimate resolution to the prolonged war in the Gaza Strip. This is also interpreted as an effort to pressure Israel, which is continuing uncompromising military operations.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Simon Harris, Prime Minister of Ireland, also said at a press conference on the same day, "Today, Ireland, Norway, and Spain announce the recognition of Palestine as a state," adding, "We will each take the necessary national measures to validate this decision." "I am confident that more countries will join this important step within weeks," he said. Pedro S?nchez, Prime Minister of Spain, also announced in a parliamentary speech that "the Spanish cabinet will approve the recognition of the State of Palestine on the 28th."

Israel responded with a strong reaction. Israeli Foreign Minister Katz said, "Ireland and Norway have sent a message today to the Palestinian people and the world that terrorism is rewarded," adding, "Israel sends a clear message that it will not quietly accept this." He ordered the immediate recall of Israeli ambassadors from Norway and Ireland and said that an order to summon the ambassador in Spain would also be issued. In contrast, the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs the West Bank, and Hamas welcomed the decision by the European countries.

Among the 193 United Nations member states, 139 countries have recognized Palestine as a state so far. Within the EU, nine member states in Eastern and Northern Europe, including Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Sweden, have already recognized Palestine as a state. The UN General Assembly also adopted a resolution on the 10th recommending the UN Security Council to positively reconsider Palestine's full membership and granted exceptional rights to participate in UN General Assembly meetings and various UN conferences. Palestine had previously applied for full UN membership in 2011 to gain independent state status, but the effort was blocked due to opposition from the United States.