A number of European countries announced official recognition of the Palestinian state today, Wednesday, in a step that will take effect on May 28, and along the way, other countries – such as Slovenia and Malta – also announced their readiness to recognize a Palestinian state.
This comes amid the issuance of decisions by the International Criminal Court condemning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Galant on charges of committing war crimes, in addition to 3 leaders of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), at a time when the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has continued since October 7. /October 2023.
Why confess now?
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Storhe said that the goal of this recognition is to establish a politically cohesive Palestinian state based on the Palestinian Authority. He added that the two-state solution is in Israel’s interest, and that the war in Gaza showed that achieving peace and stability must be based on resolving the Palestinian issue.
As for Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth, he said – in statements to Tel Aviv Tribune – that “avoiding the current tragedy and killing in Gaza would have been possible if Palestine had been recognized after the Oslo Accords,” stressing that his country decided to recognize Palestine “so that we can move forward on a less violent path that leads to a settlement and the establishment of peace.”
Meanwhile, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said that the people of Palestine deserve a future full of hope and peace, stressing that “there is no future for the extremist version of Zionism that fuels settler violence and land seizure.”
Historic solidarity
For his part, Declan Kearney, head of the Sinn Fein party in Northern Ireland, said, “Ireland has a long history of solidarity with the Palestinian people in their quest to achieve a sovereign state and achieve their freedom.”
He added – in an interview with Tel Aviv Tribune Net – that it is important at this time, and in light of the ongoing war of extermination in Gaza and the aggression in the West Bank, that the Irish government has now announced that on May 28, it will recognize the State of Palestine.
Kearney hoped that this would be a first step for the Irish government in assuming a leading role in the international community to ensure that current measures are taken to achieve a nationally sovereign Palestinian state.
When asked about the fact that the Irish Parliament had previously adopted a unanimous resolution 10 years ago to recognize the State of Palestine, but the government was late; “In 2014, the Irish Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution from the Sinn Féin party to recognize the state of Palestine, but unfortunately it took all these years for the Irish government to implement this resolution,” Kearney said.
But he went back and added that this decision today is very positive, and is considered a very important matter with regard to Ireland’s solidarity with the Palestinian people, and “is an important foundation on which we can build, and reflects future popular opinion in favor of the Palestinian people and their support in achieving all their national rights and reaching a state with national sovereignty and for life”.
He also did not miss what is happening in the Gaza Strip, saying that this international movement must be accompanied by a focus on achieving a permanent and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, and ensuring the unhindered access of humanitarian aid to the Strip, as well as the complete withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Gaza and the West Bank.
Regarding the impact of this recognition on the ceasefire in Gaza, the head of the Sinn Féin party said that the decision contributes to ending the war in Gaza and securing a permanent and unconditional ceasefire, and we also need to see other countries in Europe now following the step taken by Ireland and Spain. And Norway.
Kearney stressed that he is confident that many other European countries will recognize the State of Palestine during the coming period. He also pointed out the importance of cumulative political and diplomatic pressure on these countries so that they take a more positive and progressive stance, in line with international law.
Palestinian welcome
For its part, the Palestinian presidency welcomed the decision to recognize the Palestinian state, and said, “We highly value the contribution of this decision from Norway in consecrating the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination on their land and in taking actual steps to support the implementation of the two-state solution.”
She added – in a statement carried by the official news agency (Wafa) – that “The Kingdom of Norway has steadfastly supported the rights of the Palestinian people over the past years and voted in favor of these rights in international forums. This initial decision comes as a culmination of these positions and is consistent with the principles of international law that recognize the right of peoples to dispose of their property.” From colonialism and persecution and to live in freedom, justice and independence.”
As for a member of the Political Bureau of the Hamas movement, Dr. Bassem Naim, he said that this successive recognition by a number of European countries – some of which are members of the European Union and some of which are outside it – may be the beginning of an important political shift at the international level with regard to the Palestinian issue and the legitimate Palestinian right, foremost among which is his right. In an independent state, self-determination and the right of return.
Naim added – in exclusive statements to Tel Aviv Tribune Net – that at this moment “we must thank and appreciate the courageous political steps taken by these countries despite the great pressure exerted on them by the Zionist entity and its allies at the Western level, especially European and American.”
A member of the Hamas political bureau pointed out that these successive recognitions will encourage other countries around the world to recognize the independent state of Palestine, and “most importantly, they will lead to further isolation of this racist entity.”
He stressed that these confessions are the result of this “legendary steadfastness and this pure blood” that was shed on the land of Palestine in general and the Gaza Strip in particular, and “they are also the result of this valiant resistance that has continued over the course of months, which demonstrated the ability of the Palestinian people to impose their rights on the entity and its allies.”
Popular movement in Europe
For his part, Majed Al-Zeer, head of the European-Palestinian Council for Political Relations in Brussels, said, “This recognition is an achievement for the Palestinian people in their steadfastness and insistence on adhering to their rights and not being defeated by the Zionist war machine that wants to displace them and end their cause.”
It also comes in response to the demonstrations and popular calls throughout the European continent, especially in these three countries, which for 8 months have not stopped raising their voices loudly in rejection of all the crimes and genocide committed against our people and people in the Gaza Strip.
Majed Al-Zeer pointed out that this popular movement was consistent with important global transformations, including the legal dimension in South Africa’s pleading in January 2023 before the International Court of Justice, then Nicaragua last April, and then “the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court decided to prosecute the president of… The ministers of the occupying state and its Minister of Defense are considered war criminals.”
He stressed that all of this movement led to a rift in the collective European position in support of the occupying state in an immoderate and biased manner, with imbalance and double standards, and this foretells other recognitions and achievements that come in a natural context of political, legal, media, and, above all, popular transformations.
The head of the Palestinian European Center added that these Palestinian achievements indicate “breaking the Zionist war machine, stopping the aggression immediately, lifting the siege and ending the Zionist occupation on the land of Palestine,” as the whole world recognizes that it is occupied Palestinian land.
Majid Al-Zeer said that there is a major shift in European public opinion towards the Palestinian issue, and he referred to the results of a poll conducted by YouGov in 5 European countries (France, Germany, Sweden, Italy and Belgium).
He added that this poll produced important results; More than 50% of those surveyed supported cutting off military aid and military funding from European countries to Israel. They also see what is happening in Gaza as genocide.
