Israel Rages as Ireland, Spain, and Norway Move to Recognize Palestinian State
Ireland, Spain, and Norway on Wednesday said they will officially recognize a Palestinian state in a historic move that was met with a predictably furious response by Israel as it faces mounting international condemnation over its war with Hamas in Gaza.
Although the majority of countries in the world already recognize a sovereign state of Palestine, most in Western Europe, along with the U.S., do not. The news of the latest additions—whose formal recognition will begin Tuesday—was welcomed by Palestinian officials as a highly symbolic victory for their people and derided by the government of Israel, which wasted no time in excoriating the decision.
Writing on X before Spain announced its decision to join Norway and Ireland, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he had ordered the “immediate recall” of his country’s ambassadors to Oslo and Dublin.