Israel Infuriated by Ireland, Spain, and Norway's Recognition of a Palestinian State
Editor
23 May 2024 12:15 WIB
PALESTINIANS WELCOME STATEHOOD ANNOUNCEMENT
The decision by the three European countries was welcomed by the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and by Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since driving the PA out of the enclave in 2007.
About 144 of the 193 member-states of the United Nations recognize Palestine as a state, including most of the global south, Russia, China, and India. But only a handful of the 27 European Union members have done so, mostly former Communist countries as well as Sweden and Cyprus.
Britain, Australia and EU members Malta and Slovenia have indicated in recent months that they could soon follow suit.
Norway, which is not an EU member, was the host of the Oslo peace process some 30 years ago that was intended to lead to a Palestinian state on territory captured by Israel in a 1967 war, including the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. The last negotiations collapsed a decade ago.
Netanyahu has rejected a sovereign Palestinian state, despite the so-called "two-state solution" remaining the U.S. policy objective. Washington, however, opposes recognizing Palestine without an agreement reached at negotiations.
President Joe Biden "is a strong supporter of a two-state solution and has been throughout his career," a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said. "He believes a Palestinian state should be realized through direct negotiations between the parties, not through unilateral recognition."
Germany said it was a matter that required further dialogue, while France said conditions had not yet been met.
Last month, Washington vetoed recognizing Palestine as a state at the United Nations, where the Palestinians now have observer status.
The move by the three European countries was the latest example of Israel's increasing international isolation, both over the civilian casualties resulting from its tactics in the Gaza war, as well as its longstanding policies such as building Jewish settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.
Jan Egeland, who was part of the Norwegian diplomatic team that helped broker the Oslo Peace Accords in the 1990s, said the announcement by the European trio, though "symbolic", was a message to Israel that the occupation of Palestinian territories had to end.
Alon Liel, a former director general of Israel's foreign ministry and a critic of Netanyahu's government, told Reuters by phone from Tel Aviv that the move by Spain, Ireland, and Norway could have an important impact on Israeli public opinion.
Equalising the status of Israel and Palestine in the international sphere, was "a nightmare for the current Israeli leadership", he said. The three European countries' action represented "the start of the recognition by the countries that Israel cares about, that are a role model for Israel".
Israel launched its war in Gaza in retaliation for the Oct. 7 assault by Hamas in which fighters killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's operations in the enclave have killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry.
REUTERS
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