For Israel it is a bang. Several European countries have announced that they will recognize Palestine as a state. More could follow. The most important things at a glance.
“There can be no peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition.” With these words, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced on Wednesday that Norway would recognize Palestine as a state from May 28th. Shortly afterwards, Ireland and Spain also announced that they would officially recognize a state of Palestine on the same date.
Last week, several EU countries had already indicated that they wanted to recognize a Palestinian state. They justified the step by saying that a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict was important for lasting peace in the region. Israel immediately warned that recognition would reward terrorism.
The recent push by Norway, Ireland and Spain catapults the debate back into the spotlight. A possible initiative is also being discussed in Germany. The most important questions and answers at a glance.
How do Spain, Ireland and Norway justify the recognition of Palestine?
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had been lobbying European and Middle Eastern countries for months for recognition of Palestine and a ceasefire in the Gaza war. “Next Tuesday, May 28th, Spain will accept the recognition of the Palestinian state in the Council of Ministers,” he announced in parliament in Madrid. The recognition is not directed against anyone, “it is not against the Israeli people,” Sánchez continued. The recognition is “an act in favor of peace, justice and moral consistency.” At the same time, Spain’s Prime Minister accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of putting a two-state solution to resolve the Middle East conflict “at risk” with his policy of “pain and destruction” with regard to the Gaza war.
Norwegian Prime Minister Gahr Støre had previously justified his country’s decision by saying that Palestine had a “fundamental right to an independent state.” Norway will “view Palestine as an independent state with all the rights and obligations that entails.” At a press conference in Oslo, he also made a “strong appeal” to other countries to also recognize an independent Palestinian state.
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris also spoke of a “historic and important day for Ireland and for Palestine” at a press conference in Dublin. “We know from our own history what this means,” he said, referring to Ireland’s hard-fought independence from Great Britain. Harris expressed the expectation that other countries would soon join Ireland, Spain and Norway.
How does Israel react to this move?
There is great outrage in Israel. The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem immediately recalled its ambassadors to Norway, Ireland and Spain for immediate consultations. “Today I am sending a strong message to Ireland and Norway: Israel will not ignore this,” said Foreign Minister Israel Katz. “The hasty move by the two countries will have further serious consequences,” emphasized Katz before Spain’s announcement.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the ambassadors of the three countries were also summoned to give a “serious warning”. At the meeting, they will reportedly be shown a video of the capture of young female soldiers by Hamas fighters on October 7th. “History will remember that Spain, Norway and Ireland decided to award gold medals to Hamas’ murderers and rapists,” Katz said.
The foreign minister warned that recognition could hamper efforts to rescue Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip. It would also reduce the likelihood of a ceasefire in the Gaza war because “the jihadists of Hamas and Iran would be rewarded,” said Katz. “Today’s decision sends a message to the Palestinians and the world: terrorism pays.”
What are the reactions on the Palestinian side?
Instead, the Palestinian side was happy about the move. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas praised Norway’s decision and called on other countries to also recognize Palestine. The Norwegian step will strengthen “the Palestinians’ right to self-determination” and benefit efforts towards a two-state solution, Abbas said in a statement carried by the official news agency Wafa.
The radical Islamic group Hamas has also welcomed the impending recognition of a Palestinian state. It is an “important step towards reaffirming our right to land and establishing a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital,” said the Palestinian organization. A senior Hamas official told AFP that the planned recognitions were thanks to the “courageous resistance” of the Palestinians. The announcements from Spain, Ireland and Norway were the “direct result” of the “legendary steadfastness of the Palestinian people,” argued Bassem Naim of Hamas’s political bureau. “We believe this will be a turning point in the international stance on the Palestinian issue,” Naim added. Hamas called on other countries to “recognize our legitimate national rights.”
Which other countries recognize the Palestinian state?
According to the Palestinian Authority, 142 of the 193 UN states have so far recognized a Palestinian state. However, most Western European countries, including Germany, France and Great Britain, as well as the United States, have so far held back from recognizing it. They argue that recognition should be achieved through negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians as part of a two-state solution, rather than through unilateral measures by third parties.
France warned that recognition of a Palestinian state was premature. Although recognition of Palestine was “not taboo” for France, the Foreign Ministry in Paris declared, this step must be “useful” and enable political progress as a “diplomatic instrument in the service of a two-state solution”.
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Critics complain that the Palestinian territories lack important criteria for such a step. For example, the border between Israel and the Palestinians remains contentious. This also applies to the political status of East Jerusalem.
The latest efforts in Brussels caused a stir. In March, the heads of government of Spain and Ireland as well as Slovenia and Malta signed a joint declaration in which the four EU countries expressed their willingness to recognize an independent Palestinian state. Spain and Ireland have now put their words into action.
What are the efforts in Germany?
Like the majority of Western European countries, Germany is committed to a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict, but sees the recognition of Palestine as the result of direct negotiations between the conflict parties. After the recent push by Norway, Ireland and Spain, SPD politicians are now also in favor of a German initiative – under conditions. “Germany should promote the recognition of Palestine as part of a joint European initiative,” said Isabel Cademartori star, “provided the hostages are released and a ceasefire agreed”. The SPD politician emphasized that Poland and France had also shown themselves open to recognizing Palestine at the UN General Assembly.
SPD politician Ralf Stegner also welcomes the initiative. “Perhaps these steps will help on the way to a two-state solution – without which there will be no peace,” Stegner told the star. “Only if security for Israel and When self-determination for the Palestinian people comes together, peace is possible.” Stegner continued: “Germany must actively engage diplomatically to achieve this – that is more important than unilateral advances.” The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, Michael Roth (SPD), evaluated the step on the other hand, as a “wrong signal at the wrong time”.
What does the move mean for the warring parties in the Middle East?
The recognition of three European states strengthens the Palestinian side at a critical time. But the effort will have little immediate impact on the desperate situation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Since the brutal Hamas attack on October 7th, Israel has taken massive military action in Gaza. According to Hamas, more than 35,000 Palestinians are said to have been killed in the war and thousands are on the run.
One thing is certain: the pressure on Israel is growing. The announcements by Norway, Ireland and Spain are just the latest blow to the Israeli government on the international stage. Just at the beginning of the week, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court requested arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and the leader of Hamas for war crimes in connection with the October 7 attacks and the Israeli offensive in Gaza. Meanwhile, the controversial Israeli military offensive in Rafah is increasingly becoming a strain on relations with the USA. Now the move by Norway and Co. shows that international patience with Israeli politics is dwindling.
Sources: “Guardian“, “NY Times“, “CNN“, with news agencies DPA, AFP and AP