By Shahrokh Saei
Spain, Ireland, Norway formally recognize Palestinian state
TEHRAN - Three European countries on Tuesday formally recognized Palestine as a state, throwing a spotlight on the fact that the Palestinian struggle for statehood and self-determination remains a powerful and influential force on the international stage.
Spain, Ireland and Norway officially recognized the Palestinian state despite backlash from Israel and objections from some of its Western allies, in particular the United States.
The three countries said their move is aimed at accelerating ceasefire efforts in Israel's war on Gaza, which has claimed the lives of more than 36,000 Palestinians since October 7.
Spain wants unified Palestinian state
The Spanish prime minister hoped the recognition of Palestine as a state will advance the so-called two-state solution.
Pedro Sanchez said his country wants a unified Palestinian state, including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, under the Palestinian National Authority with East Jerusalem (al-Quds) as its capital.
"It's the only way of advancing toward what everyone recognizes as the only possible solution to achieve a peaceful future, one of a Palestinian state that lives side by side with the Israeli state in peace and security," Sanchez added.
Dublin eyes full relations with Ramallah
The Irish prime minister also touched upon Dublin’s motive for the recognition.
“We had wanted to recognize Palestine at the end of a peace process however we have made this move alongside Spain and Norway to keep the miracle of peace alive,” Simon Harris said.
He also took a jab at Israel for continuing its brutal onslaught on Gaza.
“I again call on Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel to listen to the world and stop the humanitarian catastrophe we are seeing in Gaza,” the Irish premier said.
The Irish government also “agreed to establish full diplomatic relations between Dublin and Ramallah”.
“An Ambassador of Ireland to the State of Palestine will be appointed along with a full Embassy of Ireland in Ramallah,” the Irish government said in a statement.
Milestone relationship
In Norway, which is not a European Union member, 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,” according to the Associated Press.
Israel faces intl. humiliation
The recognition of Palestine by two EU members, namely Spain and Ireland highlight widening cracks between Israel and the European Union.
Slovenia has also said it will decide on the recognition of a Palestinian state on Thursday.
These moves signal Israel’s growing global isolation as it rejects calls to end the brutal war on Gaza.
Israel has been recently stuck with painful diplomatic blows.
On May 10, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to back the Palestinian bid for full UN membership.
More than a week ago, the International Criminal Court also announced it was seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and War Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the Gaza war.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell threw his weight behind the ICC’s move, saying, “All States that have ratified the ICC statutes are bound to execute the Court’s decisions”.
Israel suffered another blow after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a dramatic ruling on Friday ordering it to "immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah".
Israel battlefield failures
Apart from being dealt with severe diplomatic blows, Israel has also been humiliated in the Gaza battlefield.
Israel has failed to achieve its military goals in the Gaza Strip, which include achieving “total victory” over Hamas and “destroying” the resistance group.
The Israeli army has not only failed to eliminate Hamas after more than seven months but it has also suffered heavy defeats at the heads of the resistance fighters.
A recent missile attack on Tel Aviv along with confrontations between Israeli and Hamas forces in a northern Gaza tunnel indicate that the Palestinian resistance has the upper hand.
Israel has intensified deadly attacks against civilians in Gaza, including the Sunday massacre in a camp tent in Rafah, in retaliation for its defeats in the Gaza war.
Presently, the recognition of Palestine by Spain, Norway, and Ireland is a show of resilience by Palestinians in the face of Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, Western countries like the United States which still remain supportive of Israel are also sliding into international isolation as they face domestic pressure to stop arming the regime.
The US claims it is not opposed to the recognition of a Palestinian state. However, it says this should come through talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Germany has followed the US line while France says conditions are not right to officially recognize a Palestinian state.
Israel, however, has opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The last round of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations collapsed in 2014 mainly over Israel’s continued settlement construction and its land garb policy in the West Bank.
In fact, Israel has expanded its illegal settlements under the cover of talks.
Nonetheless, the surprise October 7 military operation that was carried out by Hamas in southern Israel acted as a game changer.
The Hamas attack caught Israel and its Western supporters off guard and shifted the balance of power in favor of the Palestinian resistance.
It has become crystal clear that Palestinians cannot achieve their goals through negotiations with the apartheid regime and making concessions.
For now, it is as clear as day that the Palestinian resistance has isolated Israel and its allies, exposed the savage nature of the bogus regime and paved the way for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
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