Norwegian Foreign Minister Defends His Country's Recognition of Palestine

Following the announcement of Norway, Ireland, and Spain recognizing the Palestinian state, Norway's Foreign Minister explained to the Jerusalem Post that the decision was due to "the Israeli government's denial of the establishment of a Palestinian state, the Gaza war, settlement construction in the West Bank, and the stalled peace process." Espen Barth Eide, in this phone conversation, referred to Oslo's and other European countries' disappointment with Benjamin Netanyahu's government policies regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, stating: "If the Israeli government had announced it was ready to negotiate, this could have significantly changed things." The Norwegian Foreign Minister emphasized that what has been seen from this government [Netanyahu] is the rapid expansion of state-supported settlements, which we consider illegal, in addition to the government's leniency regarding settlement construction in the West Bank, which is even illegal under Israeli law. According to the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jewish extremists and settlers are using violence to help expand Israeli control over West Bank territories. He stressed that this issue is very "problematic" and has convinced Norway to take action to "recognize the state of Palestine." The Prime Ministers of Norway, Ireland, and Spain announced on Wednesday, May 22, a "historic action" recognizing Palestine as a state; a decision that faced anger from Israel and joy from the Palestinian territories. The Israeli Prime Minister warned that this action would lead to the formation of a "terrorist state." Several European countries in recent weeks have announced their intention to take similar actions, arguing that a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel is essential for lasting peace in the region. Meanwhile, the United States vetoed a resolution on April 19 requesting full membership for Palestine in the United Nations. Twelve Security Council member countries had 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 United States.