The countries of Norway and Spain announced, Tuesday morning, Officially recognizing the State of PalestineIreland is scheduled to follow suit later today.
In a joint statement last week, the three European countries announced this step, with their leaders saying they hope other countries will join the initiative, stressing that it will enhance the prospects for peace.
With Spain, Norway and Ireland, the number of countries recognizing the State of Palestine rises to 147, out of 193 member states in the United Nations General Assembly.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday that his country will recognize a Palestinian state that includes the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, unified under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Recognition of the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders
In a speech hours before the Spanish government officially recognized the State of Palestine during a cabinet meeting, Sanchez said that recognition of the State of Palestine is “necessary to achieve peace” between Israelis and Palestinians, as well as being “a matter of historical justice.”
He stressed that Spain will not recognize any changes to the Palestinian borders after 1967, unless all parties agree to this, stressing that the only path to peace is the two-state solution.
He said that his country would work with the Arab countries to hold a peace conference.
He added that the priority now is to put an end to the unprecedented crisis in Gaza and open the crossings, calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the entry of humanitarian aid.
Norwegian and Irish recognition
This morning, Norway began officially recognizing the State of Palestine.
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement: “Norway’s official recognition of Palestine as a state has entered into force.”
The statement added that “a number of other like-minded European countries will officially recognize Palestine on the same date.”
For its part, the Irish government will meet before noon on Tuesday to officially announce the entry into force of its decision to recognize the State of Palestine.
Palestinian welcome and Israeli condemnation
Palestinian Assistant Foreign Minister Omar Awadallah described Spain’s recognition of the Palestinian state as “historic as it comes at a time when the Palestinians in Gaza are suffering.”
He said in an interview with Al-Arabi: “We have received promises from several countries that want to recognize the Palestinian state soon.”
On the other hand, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused the Spanish Prime Minister of complicity in “incitement to exterminate the Jews” after his country recognized the State of Palestine.
Katz wrote in a post on his account on the “X” platform: “You (Sanchez) are complicit in incitement to exterminate the Jews,” likening the Spanish Deputy Prime Minister to… Yolanda Diaz With the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, and the head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, they all call for “the establishment of a Palestinian Islamic terrorist state from the river to the sea,” as he put it.
Next Thursday, the Slovenian government will discuss transferring the file of recognition of Palestine to Parliament for ratification.
During the past months, Britain, Australia, and Malta have indicated that they may also recognize a Palestinian state.
It is noteworthy that the efforts for the State of Palestine to obtain full membership in the United Nations are facing American opposition in the UN Security Council.