Spain, Norway and Ireland will officially recognize the Palestinian state on May 28th. The prime ministers of the three states, the Norwegian Jonas Gahr, the Spanish Pedro Sanchez and the Irish Simon Harris, announced it not far from each other. The latter spoke of “a historic and important day” for his country and for Palestine.
Sanchez made the announcement during the congressional hearing in which he is called to give information on the situation in Gaza, as well as explanations on the activities of his wife, Begona Gomez, after the opening of a preliminary investigation by Section 41 investigation by the Court of Madrid, on the basis of a complaint presented by the self-styled union Manos Limpias.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “endangers” the ‘two-state’ solution and does not have “a peace project”, but with his policies he has caused only “pain and destruction” in the Gaza Strip, Sanchez told the Chamber . “This recognition is not against Israel and the people of Israel, nor in favor of Hamas”, clarified Sanchez, who said he was ready “to assume the consequences” that may come from Tel Aviv.
The president of the Spanish government explained that the decision was agreed between the two allies of the government, PSOE and Sumar, “echoing the common feeling of Spanish citizens”. Sanchez assured: “We will recognize the State of Palestine for peace, for coherence and for justice.” The announcement came in conjunction with the recognition of a Palestinian state by the Irish Prime Minister, Simon Harris, and the Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Store, with whom the Spanish Prime Minister had agreed on a joint action. “Recognition is not the end. It is only the beginning, and we will continue to put pressure on the international community” so that we can move towards the ‘two-state solution’, underlined Sanchez.
The response from the Israeli state was immediate: Foreign Minister Israel Katz ordered the ‘immediate return to Israel’ of the ambassadors in Ireland and Norway ‘for consultations, in light of the decision of these countries to announce the recognition of a Palestinian state’. Katz denounced that ‘Ireland and Norway intend to send a message today to the Palestinians and to the whole world: terrorism pays’.
“The parade of Irish-Norwegian stupidity does not discourage us, we are determined to achieve our objectives: to restore security to our citizens with the removal of Hamas and the return of the kidnapped people. There are no objectives – he concluded – more just than these.” “Israel – said Katz – will not be complacent with those who want to undermine its sovereignty and endanger its security”. The minister then announced similar steps also towards Spain.
To date, 140 out of 193 United Nations member states recognize Palestine and Sweden is the only European Union state to have done so in 2014.
Abu Mazen: ‘Other EU countries should recognize the state of Palestine’
Abu Mazen’s presidency welcomed the announcement by Ireland, Norway and Spain to recognize the State of Palestine and urged the other EU countries to do the same. “The objective – he said, quoted by Wafa – is to achieve the 2-state Solution based on international resolutions and within the borders of 1967”.
France: ‘Recognizing Palestine is not taboo but now is not the time’
The recognition of the Palestinian state “is not a taboo” but now is not the right time: said the French Foreign Minister, Stéphane Séjourné, in a statement to the AFP agency. According to Paris, there are no conditions “at this moment for this decision to have a real impact” on the process aimed at a two-state solution.
“This decision – commented Minister Séjourné – must be useful, that is, allow a decisive step forward on a political level”. “From this perspective, it must be adopted at the right time so that there is a before and after,” he added.
PLO: ‘European recognition of a Palestinian state is historic’
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) today defined the recognition of a Palestinian state by Spain, Ireland and Norway as “historic”.
Hamas: ‘The resistance pushed to recognize the Palestinian state’
Hamas said “courageous Palestinian resistance” pushed Ireland, Spain and Norway to recognize Palestinian statehood.
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