Spain, Ireland and Norway will officially recognize a Palestinian state on Tuesday, despite an angry reaction from Israel, which has found itself increasingly isolated after seven months of war in Gaza.
"This is a historic decision that has a single objective: that Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a televised address before a cabinet meeting that will formally approve the measure.
Sanchez said Spain would recognize a unified Palestinian state, including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, under the Palestinian National Authority with East Jerusalem as its capital. Madrid will not recognize any changes to pre-1967 borders unless agreed to by both parties, he said.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said in a statement that “for more than 30 years, Norway has been one of the strongest advocates for a Palestinian state. Today, when Norway officially recognizes Palestine as a state, is a milestone in the relationship between Norway and Palestine.”
The Palestinian flag was raised in Dublin outside Leinster House, the seat of the Irish parliament.
“This is an important moment and I think it sends a signal to the world that there are practical actions you can take as a country to help keep the hope and destination of a two-state solution alive at a time when others are trying to sadly bomb it into oblivion,” Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said before his Cabinet meets to formally sign off on the decision.
Following the European countries’ announcement last week, Foreign Minister Israel Katz summoned the ambassadors of the three countries for a reprimand. During the meeting, Foreign Ministry representatives showed them the video of the kidnapping of IDF lookouts from the Nahal Oz base.
The diplomatic tensions with Spain also touched on the statement made by the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz, who was seen in a video chanting, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," a saying that effectively calls for the elimination of Israel.
Katz issued a harsh statement in response, calling her an "ignorant, hate-filled individual." He added, "I have decided to sever the connection between Spain's representation in Israel and the Palestinians, and to prohibit the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem from providing services to Palestinians from the West Bank.”
Katz also sharply criticized the Spanish declaration on Tuesday, calling Prime Minister Sanchez: "Khamenei, Sinwar, and Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz call for the elimination of the State of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic Palestinian terrorist state from the river to the sea. Sanchez, by not dismissing your deputy and announcing the recognition of a Palestinian state, you are complicit in incitement to genocide against the Jewish people and war crimes."