Leaders in Ireland, Norway and Spain each agreed to recognize Palestinian statehood on Wednesday morning, angering the Israeli government and emboldening those who seek to destroy it.
The trio of European countries coordinated to show support for people in Gaza as the Israeli Defense Forces spend another month rooting out Islamist militants following the Oct 7, 2023 massacre of its people.
“In the middle of a war, with tens of thousands of dead and injured, we must keep alive the only thing that can provide a safe home for both Israelis and Palestinians: two states that can live in peace with each other,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said, Reuters reported.
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez each said that the decision to recognize a Palestinian state was not meant to send an anti-Israeli message.
“Today, Ireland, Norway and Spain are announcing that we recognise the state of Palestine.”
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris says this is a “historic day for Palestine”.https://t.co/PAiZ4D1jU3
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Harris called his country’s decision a chance to “offer hope and encouragement to the people of Palestine at one of their darkest hours,” NBC News reported.
Sánchez told reporters, “This recognition is not against anyone, it is not against the Israeli people … It is an act in favor of peace, justice and moral consistency.”
More countries on the continent are expected to join Ireland, Norway and Spain the coming weeks.
Do you recognize Palestine as a state?
The trio of counties will formally recognize Palestinian statehood beginning May 28.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas asked more countries to designate statehood in a statement to his people.
Abbas called Ireland’s, Norway’s and Spain’s declarations “an important step on the path to establishing our right to our land.”
Israeli leadership also reacted to the move.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz vowed his country would not bend a knee to pressure campaigns to isolate it.
“I am sending a clear message today: Israel will not be complacent against those who undermine its sovereignty and endanger its security,” Katz said, according to RTE.
He further ordered Israel’s ambassadors in the three countries that chose to recognize Palestinian statehood home.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not publicly commented on decisions in Europe as of early Wednesday.
Netanyahu faces the prospect of a warrant from the International Criminal Court that seeks to try him for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, the Associated Press reported.
