Explainer: Int'l community welcomes Ireland, Spain, Norway's recognition of a Palestinian state

BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Norway, Ireland, and Spain announced on Wednesday their official recognition of Palestine as a state. The decision came amid international outrage over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza following Israel's military operation.

Global reactions to the recognition varied, with dozens of countries welcoming the decision.

The Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said the recognition sends the right message to the Palestinians that the world is willing to defend their right to self-determination and to be an independent state.

In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry urged countries that have not taken this step to push forward with recognizing a Palestine state to uphold the values of justice and support the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

Jordan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday welcomed the decision, saying that this represents a step toward implementing the two-state solution.

Qatar welcomed the recognition and considered this a significant step in supporting the two-state solution and achieving peace and stability in the region, said the Qatari Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

The ministry stressed "the need to end the war on the Gaza Strip immediately and return to the political track as the only guarantee to achieve stability in the region."

In response to the news that Spain and Ireland said they are going to recognize the Palestinian State, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China always firmly supports the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights, supports the two-State solution and is one of the first countries to recognize the State of Palestine.

China will continue to work with the international community to play a constructive role in ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as early as possible and promoting a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question, the spokesperson added.

In Europe, Malta, Slovenia, and Slovakia expressed support, with Slovenia also taking steps toward recognizing Palestine, while the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Lithuania expressed reservations.

Israel, infuriated by the decision, perceived it as a form of reward for Hamas militants. "The intention of several European countries to recognize a Palestinian state is a reward for terrorism," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. The country swiftly recalled its ambassadors from Ireland, Norway, and Spain.

The U.S. government pushed back against a move from Ireland, Spain, and Norway to recognize a Palestinian state. "The president is a strong supporter of a two-state solution and has been throughout his career," a National Security Council spokesperson was quoted by CNN as saying.

"He believes a Palestinian state should be realized through direct negotiations between the parties, not through unilateral recognition," the spokesperson added.

Observers noted that the three countries' recognition could generate momentum for other nations to recognize a Palestinian state and might further isolate Israel. In March, Malta and Slovenia, alongside Spain and Ireland said they were considering recognizing a Palestinian state as "a positive contribution" toward ending the conflict.

More than 140 countries have already recognized a Palestinian state, representing over two-thirds of the United Nations' membership. However, none of the major Western countries have taken this step, making the recognition a notable achievement for the Palestinians.

Diplomatic pressure on Israel has also grown as there is a sign of growing international support for Palestine's UN membership. On May 11, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution, recognizing Palestine as qualified to join, with 143 votes in favor and nine against, including the United States and Israel, while 25 countries abstained.

The Palestinians demand the establishment of an independent state alongside Israel with pre-1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital.