Spain, Norway and Ireland today announced a coordinated decision to recognize a Palestinian state in the hope of prompting other countries to do the same.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gar Stjore was the first to announce this morning that Oslo will recognize the state of Palestine on May 28, issuing a "strong call" to other countries to do the same.
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris hailed the "historic day," while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said "Prime Minister (Israel Benjamin) Netanyahu has no peace plan for Palestine."
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"The fight against the terrorist group Hamas is legitimate and necessary after October 7, but Netanyahu is causing so much pain, destruction and resentment in Gaza and the rest of Palestine that the two-state solution is in danger," Sanchez said.
Jonas Gar Stroje believes that a two-state solution is in Israel's best interest.
"Today, Ireland, Norway and Spain announce that they recognize the State of Palestine," Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said, hailing "a historically important day for Ireland and Palestine." He said that he expects other countries to do the same.
"Next Tuesday, May 28, Spain will adopt the recognition of the Palestinian state in the Council of Ministers," Sanchez said before the Spanish parliamentarians.
He accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of jeopardizing the two-state solution with his policy of "pain and destruction" in the Gaza Strip.
The members of the European Union - Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and Malta - have hinted in recent weeks that they plan to recognize Palestine, claiming that a two-state solution is key to long-term peace in the Middle East.
Israel invites its ambassadors for consultations
Israel's Foreign Ministry said it was recalling its ambassadors to Ireland and Norway "for urgent consultations" following the two countries' decision to recognize the state of Palestine.
Israel announced that it would do the same in the case of Spain, which also announced its intention to recognize a Palestinian state, which official Madrid confirmed in the meantime.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that "Israel will not back down from those who undermine its sovereignty and threaten its security."
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and launched a major offensive in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for an attack on October 7 last year that killed 1.170 people in Israeli territory.
Since the beginning of the conflict, 35.647 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip.
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