Norway, Ireland, Spain to recognise Palestinian state

OSLO: Norway will recognise Palestine as a state as of May 28, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Wednesday at a press conference, despite warnings from the Israeli government.

Ireland has also announced to recognise Palestine as a state. “I am confident that further countries will join us in taking this step,” Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said on Wednesday.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, too, announced that the country will recognise Palestine as a state on May 28.

Following the development, Israel recalled its envoys from Norway and Ireland for “urgent consultations”.

European Union members Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and Malta have indicated in recent weeks that they plan to make the recognition, arguing a two-state solution is essential for lasting peace in the region.

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The move comes as Israeli forces have led assaults on the northern and southern edges of the Gaza Strip in May, causing a new exodus of hundreds of thousands of people, and sharply restricted the flow of aid, raising the risk of famine.

Non-EU Norway has long said it would recognise Palestine as a country only if it could have a positive impact on a peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, in step with what the United States has said on the issue.

Norway is a close US ally, and the Nordic country has sought to help broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians on several occasions in recent decades.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere last month said that his country was ready to make a decision on recognising a Palestinian state but had not yet decided on the timing.