Norway, Ireland, and Spain Recognize 'Palestine' as a Country

Norway, Ireland, and Spain announced in a 'historic move' that they recognize Palestine as a country; a decision met with anger from Israel and joy from the Palestinian territories. Jonas Gahr Støre, the Prime Minister of Norway, stated on Wednesday, June 2, that his country will officially implement this recognition starting June 8, saying, 'If Palestine is not recognized as a country, there will be no peace in the Middle East.' Simon Harris, the Prime Minister of Ireland, also announced on the same day that his country is coordinating with Spain and Norway, calling it 'a historic and important day for Ireland and Palestine.' Like his Norwegian counterpart, Mr. Harris emphasized the two-state solution to resolve the disputes between Israel and Palestine. Pedro Sánchez, the Prime Minister of Spain, also announced that he will officially carry out this action starting next week, in line with Norway and Ireland. Josep Borrell stated that several European countries will recognize Palestine within a month. Mr. Sánchez had previously traveled to European and Middle Eastern countries to support the recognition of Palestine and a potential ceasefire in Gaza. In response, Israel's Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz ordered his ambassadors in Ireland and Norway to return to Israel immediately. Mr. Katz emphasized that the Spanish ambassador will also be summoned, stating, 'The mentioned governments chose to reward Hamas and Iran by recognizing the state of Palestine.' Channel 14, a television network that is a major supporter of Benjamin Netanyahu, described these events as 'a political crisis' between Israel and Europe. The leftist political movement in Israel, 'Peace Now,' also stated in a statement that it is time for Israel to understand that the existence of a Palestinian state is only a matter of time, and if Israel does not take steps in this direction, it will head towards political isolation. 'Peace Now' added that the two-state solution, as part of a regional movement, will bring security, return Israeli hostages, normalize relations with Saudi Arabia, and pull us out of international isolation. Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, welcomed Norway's action, calling it significant for the Palestinian people and 'historic moments,' urging other countries to join Norway in this movement. Several European countries have announced in recent weeks that they intend to take similar actions, arguing that the two-state solution for Palestine and Israel is essential for lasting peace in the region. This comes as the United States vetoed a resolution requesting full membership for Palestine in the United Nations on April 30. Twelve Security Council member states supported Palestine's full membership in the UN, including France, China, and Russia, three permanent members of the Security Council, as well as Japan and South Korea, two Asian allies of the US.