US opposes Ireland, Spain, and Norway’s unilateral recognition of Palestinian state

The Biden administration supports a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinian territories but believes that Spain, Norway, and Ireland’s “unilateral recognition” of a Palestinian state is not the appropriate way to do it.

The three European countries announced on Wednesday their declaration of intent to recognize Palestine as an independent state, though they did so without Israeli support, which is why the administration does not support their decision.

“The president is a strong supporter of a two-state solution and has been throughout his career,” a National Security Council spokesperson told the Washington Examiner. “He believes a Palestinian state should be realized through direct negotiations between the parties, not through unilateral recognition.”

President Joe Biden reiterated last weekend that a two-state solution is “the only solution” in which people in both areas can live “in peace, security, and dignity.”

In response to Spain’s, Norway’s, and Ireland’s decisions, Israel recalled its ambassadors to the three countries and summoned their envoys, whom Israeli officials accused of rewarding Hamas for its Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war. Comparatively, President Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, welcomed the decisions and called on others to “recognize our legitimate rights and support the struggle of our people for liberation and independence.”

Israelis, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have repeatedly denounced a two-state solution since the war began, arguing that doing so would effectively amount to rewarding terrorism. Hamas killed roughly 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped another 250 people, roughly half of whom remain hostage in Gaza.

It’s unclear whether the move by Spain, Norway, and Ireland will have a major impact, though it could lead to additional European countries following their lead. Some 140 countries of the roughly 190 countries in the United Nations have already recognized a Palestinian state.

“This is extremely significant,” an Arab diplomat told the BBC. “It reflects European frustration with the Israeli government’s refusal to listen.

“And it puts pressure on the EU to follow suit.”

French, Croatian, and Maltese officials have said they do not intend to recognize a Palestinian state in the immediate future, though they expressed support for it long term, according to the Associated Press.

The move demonstrates Israel’s degraded standing among several Western countries due to its war in Gaza against Hamas. The war, which has gone on for roughly seven months, has left much of the strip destroyed and all of the population facing famine, with most people having to flee their homes. The exact death toll is impossible to verify, though Israeli leaders have indicated roughly 30,000 people have been killed, nearly half of whom were terrorists, while the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry has said roughly 35,000 people have been killed, though it does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

Norway’s recognition of Palestinian statehood comes more than three decades after it hosted the meetings that led to the Oslo Accords, which was the framework for a two-state solution that came close to resolving the conflict but failed.

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Spain, Norway, and Ireland’s recognition of a Palestinian state is another loss of sorts for Israel in the international community. Earlier this week, the International Criminal Court announced its pursuit of arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, while the International Court of Justice considers allegations of genocide that Israel has strenuously denied.

The Biden administration is pursuing a wide-ranging agreement among the U.S., Israel, and Saudi Arabia that would include a pathway for Palestinian statehood, though the deal has not been completed.