The Israeli government strongly opposed the announcement by Norway, Ireland, and Spain recognizing Palestine as a nation. The United States and European Union (EU) member countries showed differing positions.
On the 22nd (local time), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his disagreement with the recognition plan of Norway, Ireland, and Spain, stating in a video message that “recognizing Palestine as a state is a reward for terrorism.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “80% of the Palestinian residents (in the west of the Jordan River) support the horrific massacre of October 7th last year,” and “We should not give a country to such evil. That country will become a terrorist state and will attempt to repeat the massacre of October 7th.”
Netanyahu further emphasized, “Rewarding terrorism will not bring peace and will not prevent us from defeating Hamas.”
Earlier, EU member countries Norway, Ireland, and Spain announced that they would recognize Palestine as a state on the 28th, supporting the two-state solution where Israel and Palestine coexist as sovereign states.
Palestinians want to establish a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, occupied by Israel, with East Jerusalem as its capital. About 144 out of 193 UN member countries, including South America, Russia, China, and India, recognized this, but only a few of the 27 EU member countries took this action, according to Reuters. Sweden recognized a Palestinian state before joining the EU in 2014.
The Palestinian Authority led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas welcomed this measure, but Israel strongly opposed it.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned of serious consequences from this action and ordered the ambassadors of the three countries to be recalled. The Israeli Foreign Ministry also announced that it would show the ambassadors of the three countries stationed in Israel footage of female hostages held captive by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The United States and EU member countries showed differing positions.
President Joe Biden of the United States believes that a Palestinian state should be achieved through negotiations, not unilateral recognition, according to the White House.
Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor to the White House, said in a briefing that day, “President Biden has been supporting the two-state solution,” but also emphasized that “he also stressed that the two-state solution should be achieved through direct negotiations between the parties, not unilateral recognition.” He added, “We will communicate this position to our global partner countries and monitor the future situation.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian pointed out in a statement that the conditions for officially recognizing Palestine as a state have not yet been met.
He said, “This is not a simple symbolic issue or a political position issue, but a diplomatic means for a two-state solution where two countries live side by side in peace and security,” and “France believes that this decision (recognition) has not yet met the conditions that can have a real impact on this process (solution).”
After the Weimar Triangle meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski in Weimar, Germany, Le Drian also said at a joint press conference, “France has repeatedly stated that recognition is necessary for political resolution of the conflict, but now is not the time.”
Baerbock also announced that there are no plans to recognize Palestine as a state. She said, “If the recognition could bring peace right now, we would not hesitate,” but also added, “What we need to resolve this horrific situation we’ve been experiencing over the past six months is not nominal recognition, but a political solution.”
On the other hand, Sikorski expressed a positive position, saying, “We will support the efforts of other countries and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Josep Borrell, who believe that a long-term and stable solution is needed.” Borrell stated on X that afternoon, “We will continue to cooperate with all member countries within the framework of common foreign and security policy to promote a common position based on a two-state solution.”
In addition, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 as a pro-American country in the Middle East, said he supports the recognition of a Palestinian state in response to Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip and the rejection of the two-state solution. However, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, who held a joint press conference, announced that there are no plans for the recognition, according to Reuters.
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