Spain, Ireland and Norway formally recognised a Palestinian state on Tuesday, May 28 in a decision slammed by Israel as a “reward” for Hamas more than seven months into the devastating Gaza war.
The three European countries believe their initiative has a strong symbolic impact, likely encouraging others to follow suit.
“Recognition of the State of Palestine is not only a matter of historic justice… It is also an essential requirement if we are all to achieve peace,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said before meeting his cabinet.
The move, he said, was “not against anyone, least of all Israel”.
“It is the only way to move towards the solution that we all recognise as the only possible way to achieve a peaceful future — that of a Palestinian state living side-by-side with the state of Israel in peace and security.”
Sanchez also said the decision reflected Spain’s “outright rejection of Hamas, which is against the two-state solution” and whose October 7 attacks led to the Gaza war.
Last week the prime ministers of the three countries announced the move in a coordinated statement.
Both the Spanish and Irish cabinets were meeting to formally approve the step on Tuesday morning, while Norway informed Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa its recognition would also take effect the same day.
Entering the cabinet meeting, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said it was “an important moment”.
He said it sent “a signal to the world is that there are practical actions you can take as a country to help keep the hope… of a two-state solution alive”.
Last week, Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez’s far-left deputy Yolanda Diaz hailed the move saying: “We cannot stop. Palestine will be free from the river to the sea”, which Israel’s Madrid envoy denounced as a “clear call for the elimination of Israel”.
The slogan refers to the British mandate borders of Palestine, which stretched from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean before Israel was created in 1948.
On Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz rebuked Yolanda Diaz’s Statement.
“Sanchez, as long as you don’t fire your deputy and you recognise a Palestinian state, you are participating in the incitement to commit genocide and war crimes against the Jewish people,” he wrote on X.
Tuesday’s move will mean 145 of the United Nations’ 193 member states now recognise Palestinian statehood.
In 2014, Sweden became the first EU member to recognise a Palestinian state.
It followed six other European countries that took the step before joining the bloc — Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania.
