It maybe a new dawn for Palestinian statehood as Ireland, Norway, and Spain formally recognize Palestine as an independent state.
This decision comes at a time when Israel is waging a bloody war on Gaza since 7 October, 2023 when over 36,000 civilians have been killed.
Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said on X: “Today’s Government decision authorizes the establishment of full diplomatic relations with the State of Palestine,” as carried by the Anadolu Turkish news agency.
“Recognition of Palestine is not the end of a process; it is the beginning,” Martin emphasized, highlighting “our long-standing development cooperation programme.
The three European countries decided to recongnize Palestine as an independent official state for impact and ueging other countries in the world to follow suit.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said: “This is a historic decision that has a single goal — to contribute to achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians,” Anadolu reported.
“We recognized Palestine because it’s the time to do so. We can’t wait any longer,” said Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, commenting on the government’s decision.
When asked how he would respond to Israel’s recent diplomatic attacks against Spain, Albares told journalists on Tuesday that Madrid will deliver a “coordinated, serene and firm response,” alongside Norway and Ireland.
On Tuesday, Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz compared Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz to the leaders of Hamas and Iran, posting on X that she is calling for the “elimination of Israel,” even though she has insisted that she believes in a two-state solution.
On the other hand, Norway’s recognition was announced by Foreign Minister Espen Eide in a statement.
“Today, when Norway officially recognizes Palestine as a state, is a milestone in the relationship between Norway and Palestine,” he said.