'No Longer Taboo': More European States Considering Recognizing Palestine, Senior EU Diplomat Tells Haaretz
Brussels' Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process says that additional member states could follow Spain, Norway and Ireland
Amir Tibon May 29, 2024
Several EU member states are seriously looking into recognizing a Palestinian state, like Spain, Norway and Ireland have done, says the EU's special representative for the Middle East peace process.
Sven Koopmans, a Dutch diplomat who has held the role of special representative since 2021, told Haaretz in an interview that such decisions are made independently by the member states, and are not controlled or affected by the EU as a whole, but warned that they were a harbinger of a larger international challenge for Israel.
Spain, Norway and Ireland formally recognized a Palestinian state on Tuesday in a coordinated effort by the three western European nations to increase international pressure on Israel to soften its devastating response to last year's Hamas-led attack.
"There are a few member states that are looking at this very closely and are likely to take a step soon," Koopmans told Haaretz. He emphasized that he can't speak on behalf of specific countries, only the entire bloc, but noted that in the aftermath of the war in Gaza and in light of statements made by senior Israeli government officials against the two-state solution and in favor of eliminating the Palestinian Authority, the issue of recognizing Palestine was "no longer a taboo" for European governments.
Koopmans said Europe was "very alarmed" by certain statements and actions taken by the current Israeli government. He added that Israel's continuation of the operation in Rafah was a violation of the International Court of Justice's order limiting the fighting in Gaza's southernmost city.