Norway announced on Wednesday May 22 that it was preparing to recognize the existence of a Palestinian state, in the context of the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. This recognition will be effective from May 28, said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, despite warnings from the Israeli government. At the same time, Ireland and Spain also formalized their recognition of the Palestinian state. Follow our live stream.
Israel recalls its ambassadors. The Israeli Foreign Ministry decided on Wednesday to recall “for consultation” of its ambassadors in Ireland and Norway. “Israel will not remain silent on this issue”, declared Foreign Minister Israel Katz. The day before, he had warned that “recognizing a Palestinian state risks transforming you into a pawn in the hands of Iran” and Hamas.
“Support for moderate forces”, defends Oslo. Norway assured that the recognition of a Palestinian state constituted a sign of “support for moderate forces” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “Recognition can no longer wait for a peace solution”, affirmed his Prime Minister. In the early 1990s, Norway secretly hosted the first Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which resulted in the Oslo Accords intended to lead to a two-state solution.
A widely recognized Palestinian state. According to the Palestinian Authority’s tally, 142 countries of the 193 UN member states have so far expressed their recognition of a Palestinian state. This figure now stands at 145.