Ireland, Spain, and Norway have announced their decision to recognize the State of Palestine, a move ignited by the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) recent application for arrest warrants for Israeli leaders.
This decision, set to take effect on May 28, 2024, marks a significant shift in the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East and is expected to escalate diplomatic tensions with Israel and its allies, particularly the United States.
The ICC’s action serves as a catalyst for these European nations, which have long been critical of Israeli policies in the occupied territories. The court’s decision to pursue charges against Israeli officials for alleged war crimes has added a new layer of urgency to the international debate over Palestinian statehood. The ICC’s move was seen by Ireland, Spain, and Norway as a necessary step towards holding Israel accountable and addressing the long-standing grievances of the Palestinian people.
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In statements issued on Wednesday, the prime ministers of the respective countries declared their readiness to take the necessary steps to actualize their decision.
“Today, Ireland, Norway, and Spain are announcing that we recognize the state of Palestine. Each of us will now undertake whatever national steps are necessary to give effect to that decision,” Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris stated at a news conference in Dublin.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre underscored the need for a Palestinian state for peace, saying, “A Palestinian state is a prerequisite for achieving peace in the Middle East. There will be no peace in the Middle East without a two-state solution.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez sought to characterize the decision as a constructive step. He said, “This recognition is not against the people of Israel and certainly not against the Jewish people. It’s not in favor of Hamas. It’s in favor of co-existence.”
However, the move has drawn mixed reactions globally, casting further strains on diplomatic relations that have already been impacted by the ICC’s move to arrest Israeli leaders.
The Palestinian Authority welcomed the move, with its president’s office stating that it reflects support for the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights. The Palestinian news agency Wafa quoted the office as saying, “This step reflects Spain’s keenness to support the Palestinian people and their inalienable and legitimate rights to their land and homeland.”
Hamas, the governing body in Gaza, urged other countries to follow suit and recognize Palestinian statehood. The group called for support of their “legitimate national rights, support the struggle of our people for liberation and independence, and end the Zionist occupation of our land.”
Israel reacted sharply, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemning the decision as rewarding terrorism. Netanyahu stated, “The intention of several European countries to recognize a Palestinian state is a reward for terrorism. This would be a terrorist state. It would try to carry out the October 7 massacre again and again – and that, we shall not agree to. Rewarding terrorism will not bring peace and neither will it stop us from defeating Hamas.”
In further reaction, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz ordered the immediate recall of ambassadors from the three countries, signaling severe diplomatic repercussions.
Katz declared, “I am sending a clear message today — Israel will not hold back against those who undermine its sovereignty and endanger its security.” He further added, “After the terrorist organization Hamas carried out the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, after it committed the most horrific sex crimes the world has seen, these countries chose to give a reward to Hamas and Iran and recognize a Palestinian state.”
Two State Solution
While over 140 out of 193 United Nations member states recognize Palestinian statehood, only a few European Union members have joined this list. The decision by Ireland, Spain, and Norway to formally recognize Palestine is thus both symbolically and politically significant.
The three European leaders stressed the importance of Palestinian statehood in achieving peace in Middle East, a decades-long goal that the international community has failed to achieve. Senior officials in the United States, a key ally of Israel, have insisted that the only way to bring peace and stability to the region is through the creation of a Palestinian state with guarantees for Israel’s security. Lawmakers in Israel have long rejected those calls.
Reacting to the news on Wednesday, a National Security Council spokesperson told CNN that US President Joe Biden “is a strong supporter” of a two-state solution. The spokesperson added, however, “He believes a Palestinian state should be realized through direct negotiations between the parties, not through unilateral recognition.”
France, meanwhile, said that now is not the “right time” for it to join its European neighbors in recognizing a Palestinian state. The country’s foreign minister, Stephane Séjourne, added that such a decision is not merely a “symbolic issue or a question of political positioning” but rather a “diplomatic tool” in the service of a two-state solution.
Germany also questioned the decision. Michael Roth, the chair of the parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, posted on X: “I’m not convinced that the recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state is an appropriate measure after the horrific massacres [by] Hamas [on] October 7 last year.”
Regional and International Support
Several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, and Slovenia, welcomed the decision, reinforcing the call for more nations to recognize a Palestinian state. Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry expressed appreciation for the move and urged other countries to take similar steps.
A statement from the Saudi foreign ministry read, “The kingdom appreciates this decision issued by friendly countries, which affirms the international consensus on the inherent right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, and calls on the rest of the countries to quickly make the same decision.”
Historical Context and International Law
Ireland has a long history of being openly supportive of the Palestinian cause, consistently criticizing Israeli policies in the occupied West Bank and Gaza before Hamas’ October 7 attack in Israel. Since then, Israel’s war in response has shredded huge parts of the Gaza Strip and drained critical supplies, exposing the entire population of more than 2.2 million people to the risk of famine.
Israel captured Gaza from Egypt in the 1967 war and withdrew its troops and settlers in 2005. In 2007, Hamas took control of the territory, which is home to around 2 million Palestinians. Following this, Israel and Egypt imposed a strict siege on Gaza, which continues to this day. Israel also maintains an air and naval blockade on the territory. These severe restrictions have been fiercely criticized by international bodies, including Amnesty International, which accuses Israel of violating international law.
The planned recognition adds pressure on Israel after seven months of fighting, according to H.A. Hellyer, a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies in London.
Hellyer explained, “For individual Palestinians on the ground in the Occupied Territories, it’s not going to mean anything at all in the short term, perhaps in the medium term. It is obviously political recognition by states that don’t have a presence on the ground.” He added that Israel risks becoming an “international pariah” given that Western nations are now beginning to recognize a Palestinian state.