DUBLIN, May 29 – Spain, Norway and Ireland formally recognised a Palestinian state on Tuesday in a coordinated effort by the three western European nations to add international pressure on Israel to soften its devastating response to last year’s Hamas-led attack.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told his nation in a televised address from Madrid that “this is a historic decision that has a single goal, and that is to help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace.”
Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz quickly lashed out at Spain on X, saying Sanchez’s government was “being complicit in inciting genocide against Jews and war crimes.”
Ireland and Norway soon joined Spain in formalising a decision they had jointly announced the previous week.
The Palestinian flag was raised in Dublin outside Leinster House, the seat of the Irish parliament.
“This is an important moment and I think it sends a signal to the world that there are practical actions you can take as a country to help keep the hope and destination of a two-state solution alive at a time when others are trying to sadly bomb it into oblivion,” Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said before his Cabinet met to formally sign off on the decision.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said in a statement that “for more than 30 years, Norway has been one of the strongest advocates for a Palestinian state. Today, when Norway officially recognises Palestine as a state, is a milestone in the relationship between Norway and Palestine.”
While some 140 countries have recognised a Palestinian state – more than two-thirds of the United Nations – none of the major Western powers has done so. Still, the adherence of three European countries to the group represents a victory for Palestinian efforts in the world of public opinion, and is likely to put pressure on EU heavyweights France and Germany to rethink their position.
After Monday’s meeting of EU foreign ministers, Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said “for the first time at an EU meeting, in a real way, I have seen a significant discussion on sanctions” for Israel.
Harris, the Irish leader, insisted on Tuesday the EU should consider economic sanctions for Israel, saying “Europe could be doing a hell of a lot more.”
Norway, which is not an EU member but often aligns its foreign policy with the bloc, handed diplomatic papers to the Palestinian government over the weekend ahead of its formal recognition.
