At least three European countries will now recognize Palestine as a state: Norway, Ireland and Spain. Currently 148 countries around the world recognize Palestine as a state but most of Europe is excluded from this list.
This is something Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said cannot happen on his watch. Israel has recalled their ambassadors in those countries as a result. Foreign Minister Israel Katz says that this move is a “prize for terrorism” for Hamas.
The United States does not recognize Palestine but has long paid lip service to a two-state solution which would in theory recognize Palestine. That seems on the back burner while the U.S. considers sanctions for the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its applications for arrest warrants for leaders of Israel and Hamas for the ongoing war in Gaza. How does one sanction a governing body that it is not a member of?
Meanwhile, Israeli authorities raided the Associated Press news agency in Israel and shut down its live feed. After the White House expressed concern, Israel reversed course and returned the AP’s equipment.
