Several European Countries Begin to Recognize Palestine as an Independent State

Ireland, Spain, and Norway joined the minority of nations recognizing Palestinian statehood, reflecting frustration over the stalled Mideast peace process but drawing Israeli opposition.

In the past week, Ireland, Spain, and Norway announced their plan to recognize Palestine as a state due to the current violence in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. 

The measures taken by the three European countries are being taken at a time when the peace process is stalled and the Israeli government has done certain things. An Arab diplomat explained that the recognition stems from Europeans’ disappointment with the Israeli government’s inability to hear the European Union and will force other European countries to follow the same steps. 

However, Israeli ministers claim that such measures will only encourage Hamas and contribute to the policy of ‘pay for terrorism,’ making the chances of attaining a resolution of the conflict through diplomacy even less likely. It has been a policy of many countries including the United States that Palestinian state will only be recognized within the final status agreement and the creation of a Palestinian state side by side with Israel, or what is referred to as a two-state solution. 

These are some of the recent countries, although there are only a few such as Sweden and Cyprus that have recognized Palestine as a state. As of now, there are about one hundred and thirty-nine countries in the world today that have given their recognition to Palestine as an independent state. 

Although has been applauded by some enthusiasts as a step towards the realization of Palestinian self-rule, has been regarded by its critics as a step that thwarts the realization of a two-state Palestinian-Israeli state solution. Some of the issues that remain open are the issue of the territorial borders of Palestine, the status of Jerusalem, and the security of the state of Israel. 

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If this symbolic recognition has been interpreted as an indication of a change of political map in Europe the future of an independent Palestine is still uncertain due to volatility and lack of direct negotiations. The conditions on the ground do not demonstrate any significant improvement in the quality of life for the Palestinians on the ground, and it is unlikely that this situation will change in the near future.