White House Responds to Ireland, Norway and Spain Recognizing Palestine

Headline: White House Responds to Ireland, Norway, Spain Recognizing Palestine

The White House has issued a response to the recent decisions by Ireland, Norway, and Spain to recognize Palestine as a state. President Joe Biden supports a two-state solution but believes that a Palestinian state should be achieved through negotiations and not unilateral recognition.

With the addition of these three European countries, the number of nations recognizing the state of Palestine has now reached 143, according to the United Nations.

Ireland’s Taoiseach, Simon Harris, emphasized the country’s recognition of Palestine as a sovereign nation with all rights and responsibilities. Norway’s Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, highlighted the importance of a political solution to end the conflict in Gaza and called for two states to coexist peacefully.

However, Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, expressed strong criticism of the decisions, leading to the immediate recall of ambassadors from Ireland and Norway. Katz denounced the recognition as a reward for terrorism, citing recent violence perpetrated by Hamas.

Meanwhile, Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, announced that his country will recognize Palestine on May 28, emphasizing the need for peace, justice, and coherence in the decision-making process.

The international community continues to closely monitor developments in the region as efforts are made to address the ongoing conflict and human rights concerns in Gaza.

For more updates on this evolving situation, stay tuned to ABC News.