Spain, Ireland, possibly others to announce recognition of Palestinian statehood

Spain and Ireland, and possibly another country, are set to announce the recognition of a Palestinian state on Wednesday (22 May), a move that could further divide EU policy in the region.

In recent weeks, EU members Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, and Malta have said they plan to announce the recognition, possibly in a coordinated manner and in Madrid and Dublin, recognition has been part of the government’s programme.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has been spearheading the push since earlier this year, told Spanish media last Friday he would need to confirm final details over the weekend and would unveil more about the measure before the Spanish parliament on Wednesday.

Leaders of Ireland’s three-party government: Prime Minister Simon Harris, Foreign Minister Micheál Martin and Environment Minister Eamon Ryan, are expected to announce the step on Wednesday morning, according to the Irish Times.

“In order to see a two-state solution and to help bring one about, you have to recognise the very existence of two states. And in the coming days, Ireland intends to do just that,” Taoiseach Simon Harris said.

Displaying a video with an Irish flag, Israel’s foreign ministry on Tuesday (21 May) warned against the move, stating recognition would “lead to more terrorism, instability in the region and jeopardise any prospects for peace,” and being a “pawn in the hands of Iran and Hamas.”

Who else could join?

Ten out of the EU’s 27 member states currently recognise Palestine as a state.

Malta recognised Palestine’s right to a state in 1988, along with Bulgaria, Czechia, Romania, and Slovakia, but it has never fully implemented the decision.

Several countries, including Slovenia, Belgium and Portugal, have said they would be interested in joint recognition of the state of Palestine.

However, since Brussels holds the EU presidency and Lisbon just held national elections, it has been more tricky for those countries to take a step in that direction. 

As a close EU partner, Norway has also expressed interest in joining the step but did not specify a time frame.

Split in the EU

European leaders and officials have recently stressed they would support a two-state solution in the Middle East, also as part of efforts to contain Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

Recognition of a Palestinian state is also increasingly viewed as a political tool to pressure Israel into accepting a two-state solution despite the government’s hostility to the idea. 

French President Emmanuel Macron said last month that it’s not ”taboo” for France to recognise the Palestinian state. 

“As the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs has reaffirmed, recognition of a Palestinian state is a tool in the peace process that must be used at the right time,” a Quai D’Orsay source told Euractiv.

“The Palestinian State must be a viable State, based on contiguous territory and with a revitalised Palestinian Authority,” they added.

British Foreign Minister David Cameron said London could officially recognise a Palestinian state after a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.

Other, more staunch Israel supporters have so far hesitated to speak of recognition, which stands at the end, not the beginning, of a Middle East peace process.

A spokesman for the German Foreign Office told Euractiv that Berlin has the long-standing position that it would “support the establishment of Palestinian institutions that will later take on state functions”.

“This state in the making can only come at the end of a political process,” they said.

“This is more urgent than ever, and we are strongly committed to its resumption, even if this goal seems distant in the current war situation,” they added.

Some EU diplomats stress that increased recognition of a Palestinian state by EU member states could increase pressure on the European Commission to review some of the current ties with Israel, such as the bloc’s Association Agreement with Tel Aviv.

Such a request was already made by Ireland and Spain in February, in which they called for an ‘urgent review’ of Israel trade over Gaza human rights compliance, which since then has gained support from several other countries.

“There is no question that pressure on Israel is growing, but it is to be seen if such symbolic announcements will contribute to a solution – or torpedo it,” one EU diplomat told Euractiv.

EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the situation in the Middle East next Monday (27 May) during their regular meeting in Brussels, where the EU’s chief diplomat has invited six counterparts from the region to join the talks.

According to an EU official, Israel has not yet confirmed its attendance.

**Aurelie Pugnet and Nick Alipour contributed to the report.

[Edited by Alice Taylor]

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