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As the war in Gaza continues, Norway, Ireland and Spain this week formally recognized the state of Palestine. Voice of America correspondent Linda Gradstein reports from Jerusalem that, as expected, the Palestinians welcomed the developments, while Israel strongly condemned them.
Ireland, Norway and Spain thus joined over 140 countries that already recognize the Palestinian state.
"Recognition is not a symbolic gesture. It is a legal and political step. A commitment undertaken by countries. It is about recognizing territories, borders, sovereignty and as such has legal and logistical consequences for these countries" , says Palestinian journalist Nour Odeh.
Israelis have reacted with anger. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a reward for terrorism.
Some Israeli analysts interpret it as further evidence that the world's moral compass has been misdirected.
"The extraordinary act of recognizing a Palestinian state after the worst mass killings in one day in modern political history against a democratic country underscores the absurdity, I would even call the diplomatically violent decision these countries have taken ," says Dan. Diker, from the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Policy.
Polls suggest that more than three-quarters of the Israeli public do not support a Palestinian state, following the October 7 attack, when Hamas attacked more than 20 Israeli communities and killed around 1,200 people.
Since then, a bloody war has continued between Israel and Hamas, which the Ministry of Health in Gaza says has killed 36,000 Palestinians.
Some Israeli analysts say that recognition by three European countries makes the idea of a two-state solution a topic of discussion again.
"The recognition of Palestine and the introduction of Palestine into the United Nations as a member state begins a process where, if we were to return to negotiations, the issue of Palestinian citizenship is decided. Israel no longer has a veto on the issue of Palestinian citizenship ," says Gershon Bashkin, Israel's former negotiator with Hamas and an early supporter of the idea of a Palestinian state.
The United States and some European countries support the idea of a future Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, after a ceasefire is established and all Israeli hostages are released. But they are also against the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state./ VOA
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