Ireland, Spain, and Norway Will Recognize Palestinian State

Facts

• Ireland, Spain, and Norway on Wednesday announced that they will officially recognize a Palestinian state on May 28.¹
• At a press conference in Dublin, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris called the decision an 'important step,' arguing that a two-state solution was 'the only credible path to peace and security.'²
• Harris said that the decision was based on the 'principle of equality' and that both Israel and the Palestinians had the right to 'peaceful self-determination.'³
• Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the decision would give Palestinians 'hope and dignity' and enable the Palestinian National Authority to challenge Hamas.⁴
• Previously, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre argued that 'two states that can live in peace with each other' is the only way to achieve security.⁵
• Condemning the decision, Israel recalled its ambassadors from Ireland, Spain, and Norway and summoned their ambassadors to the foreign ministry.⁶

Sources: ¹CBS, ²BBC News, ³Middle East Monitor, ⁴Sur in English, ⁵reuters.com and ⁶Jerusalem Post.

Narratives

• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by ISRAEL HAYOM. The outrageous decision makes a mockery of Israel's existential struggle against terrorism and turns reality on its head, as it was Hamas that started the war. Moreover, 'Palestine' doesn't meet the most basic requirements of statehood, and the shocking move only rewards Hamas jihadists and the Tehran regime while undermining any hope for peace. Israel will not stand idly by and will continue to defend itself until Hamas is defeated and all remaining hostages are freed.
• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by AL. The announcement is a historic and long overdue step that signals to Palestinians that they have an explicit and fundamental right to self-determination. Moreover, state recognition aims to bolster moderate Palestinian forces that lost ground due to Israel's unprecedented military aggression. 142 of the 193 UN member states already recognize Palestine — and now other states must follow their conscience before Israel destroys the remaining basis for statehood.

Predictions