Ireland, Spain and Norway announced, yesterday, they would recognise a Palestinian state on May 28 and hoped other Western countries would follow suit, prompting an angry response from Israel which recalled its ambassadors from the three capitals.
All three countries painted the decision as a move aimed at accelerating efforts to secure a ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.
“We hope our recognition and our reasons contribute to other Western countries following this path, because the more we are, the more strength we will have to impose a ceasefire, to achieve the release of the hostages held by Hamas, to relaunch the political process that can lead to a peace agreement,” Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, told parliament.
Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Store, said the only possible political solution between Israelis and Palestinians was “two states living side by side in peace and security.”
Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide, said he did not expect the recognition to stop the war in Gaza, but it was ‘a key component’ for an Arab-led peace initiative.