Three European countries’ efforts to appease America by recognizing Palestine

Three European countries, including Spain, Norway and Ireland, announced on May 22 that they would officially recognize the Palestinian state from May 28. Israel was angry and immediately announced the recall of ambassadors in three countries in protest, while the US, a close ally of Tel Aviv, reacted much more restrained.

To avoid a scenario that provokes US outrage, officials from three European countries have in recent weeks discussed with President Joe Biden’s administration a plan to recognize a Palestinian state, according to US and Irish officials.

In those conversations, Biden administration officials said that while they disagreed with the move by the three European countries, they understood why Spain, Norway and Ireland were taking this step now and “they seemed like accepting it as inevitable,” said an anonymous senior Irish official.

President Biden has long supported a two-state solution, but he believes the best way to do it is through direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine, not from pressure from countries that recognize a Palestinian state.

The fact that three European countries informed the US in advance of their plans to recognize the Palestinian state shows that Washington’s global allies are trying to balance domestic political interests with the desire to avoid the risk of further instability in the Middle East. At the same time, it does not damage relations with the US, Israel’s top close ally.

As the conflict in the Gaza Strip drags on, such discussions become even more important to help de-escalate tensions and maintain relations, according to analysts.

A US official familiar with the discussion said Washington had made it clear to representatives of the three European countries that recognizing a Palestinian state would not be a useful measure. However, the US hopes the three countries’ moves will not significantly increase global tensions related to the Gaza conflict.

“We would consider this an unavoidable reality for the politics of Spain and Ireland, while Norway has special reasons under the Oslo agreement,” said the unnamed US official.

Oslo, the capital of Norway, is where the parties signed the 1993 US-brokered two-state solution agreement, in which Israel accepted the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the representative of the Palestinian people, in when the PLO recognized Israel’s right to peaceful existence. The two sides agreed that the Palestinian Authority would manage the West Bank and Gaza Strip, bringing hope for a roadmap to realize the two-state model. However, the Oslo agreement could not be implemented later due to many disagreements between the parties.

For years afterward, the parties argued fiercely over efforts to promote a two-state solution. Some countries believe that hastily recognizing the Palestinian state will not create motivation for President Mahmoud Abbas’s government to promote reform, and will hinder the peace process due to opposition from Israel.

Meanwhile, many European countries believe that continuing to delay the parties to reach a two-state solution before recognizing Palestine is no different from giving Israel the right to veto efforts to recognize a Palestinian state.

For many years, Spain, Ireland and similar European governments including Belgium, Malta, Norway and Slovenia have discussed recognizing the Palestinian state, believing that this will contribute to promoting commitment to the Palestinian state. commitment of the international community towards a two-state solution.

Ireland was determined to take this step without damaging its strong relationship with American politicians, especially Mr. Biden’s White House. Irish Foreign Office officials want to ensure that their American counterparts are promptly informed of any discussions between them and Spain.

They spoke directly with US National Security Council officials in March, along with multiple phone calls between Irish Foreign Minister Michael Martin and his US counterpart Antony Blinken. After the Irish cabinet officially decided to recognize Palestine on the evening of May 21, Dublin also immediately called Washington.

“We have tried to clearly communicate about our plans weeks, even months in advance, to ensure we do not cause unnecessary surprise or suspicion in Washington,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said Dublin hopes to see diplomacy resume between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

The US government is still concerned that the move to recognize Palestine could encourage the armed group Hamas, so “we want to emphasize our message that Ireland is not a friend of Hamas,” the Irish official said.

The US still publicly expressed its dissatisfaction. The Biden administration believes that a Palestinian state should be realized through direct negotiations between the parties, not unilateral recognition, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said.

The decision by the three European countries could also strengthen international recognition of the Palestinian state. Of the 193 members of the United Nations, 142 countries have recognized the Palestinian state.

“This is very important. It reflects Europe’s frustration that the Israeli government refuses to listen. It also puts pressure on the European Union (EU) to make a similar move,” a diplomat Arab said.

When asked about Israel’s increasingly diplomatic isolation, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said “that is a concern of ours because we understand that it is not helpful to security or peace.” long-term existence of Israel”.

But behind the scenes, officials downplayed the seriousness of the announcement. US officials argued that the announcements by the three European countries may only be symbolic, not creating much impact in the current Middle East context.

The US may also view the moves by Spain, Ireland and Norway as simply a way to exert diplomatic pressure on Israel. Mr. Sullivan said US officials told Israel that changing its strategy in the fight against Hamas and pursuing regional integration would help Tel Aviv improve relations with European countries.

In the past, the West maintained the position that recognition of a Palestinian state should be the “reward” for the final peace agreement with Israel. But Britain and many European countries recently changed their stance, saying they could soon recognize a Palestinian state to help spur momentum toward a political solution.

French President Emmanuel Macron also declared in February that “recognizing the Palestinian state is not a taboo for France”. Earlier this month, France backed Palestinian membership in a vote at the United Nations General Assembly. Paris has also drafted a resolution to present to the United Nations Security Council on a two-state solution, which they plan to discuss this summer.

Michael Wahid Hanna, director of the US program at the International Crisis Group in Belgium, said the impact from recognizing Palestine would be “cumulative and incremental over time”, but added that “it shows us that America is increasingly further isolated” in an effort to side with Israel.

Meanwhile, Israeli officials emphasized that the move to recognize Palestine would only encourage Hamas, further reducing the chances for a negotiated solution to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

However, many experts are still optimistic about this move. Hugh Lovatt, a researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations, believes that the decision of European countries will open a meaningful path to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

“State recognition is a tangible step toward a viable political path that brings self-determination to the Palestinian people,” Lovatt said.