Ireland, Spain, and Norway have announced their readiness to recognize a Palestinian state, along with other countries, according to the Prime Ministers of the three nations. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who advocates for the recognition of a Palestinian state, traveled to Oslo on Friday and then to Dublin, where he held joint press conferences with his Norwegian and Irish counterparts, Jonas Gahr Støre and Simon Harris.
Harris stated, "We believe that the moment for (recognizing a Palestinian state) is approaching." He added, "We would like to do this with as many other (countries) as possible, to give weight to the decision and send the strongest message." Sánchez noted that Ireland and Spain "are committed to publicly recognizing Palestine as a state when the conditions are right."
Ireland has long stated that it has no objection to officially recognizing a Palestinian state if it contributes to the Middle East peace process. The recent conflict in Gaza has revived this issue. During a joint press conference with Sánchez, Jonas Gahr Støre remarked, "Norway is prepared to make a decision on recognizing the Palestinian state." He added, "This decision must be based on timing and context in close cooperation with countries that share the same views. We have not set a specific timeline."
The Norwegian Parliament adopted a proposal from the ruling parties, urging the government to prepare for recognizing an independent Palestinian state. Norway hosted the first Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in the early 1990s, which led to the Oslo Accords wherein both parties accepted the peaceful coexistence of two independent states.
This week, Prime Minister Sánchez undertook a tour visiting Poland, Norway, and Ireland to address "the necessity of moving towards the recognition of Palestine," according to a spokesperson for the Spanish government. Sánchez affirmed that "Spain is publicly committed to recognizing the Palestinian state as soon as conditions are appropriate in a way that has the most positive impact on the peace process."
