‘The Norwegian Government has decided that Norway will recognize Palestine as a state,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said, as he explained that the move was his country’s response to the Gaza war.
TOVAH LAZAROFF MAY 22, 2024 08:21
Updated: MAY 22, 2024 10:11
A STUDENT protester waves a Palestinian flag above Hamilton Hall on the campus of Columbia University in New York, in late April.(photo credit: MARY ALTAFFER/REUTERS)
Norway announced its recognition of Palestine as a state on Wednesday morning and Ireland is expected to follow suit within the hour.
‘The Norwegian Government has decided that Norway will recognize Palestine as a state,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said, as he explained that the move was his country’s response to the Gaza war.
“In the midst of a war, with tens of thousands killed and injured, we must keep alive the only alternative that offers a political solution for Israelis and Palestinians alike: Two states, living side by side, in peace and security,’ he explained.
Norwegian flags flutter at Karl Johans street in Oslo, Norway May 31, 2017. (credit: REUTERS)
‘No two-state solution without a Palestinian state’
“The Palestinian people have a fundamental, independent right to self-determination. Both Israelis and Palestinians have a right to live in peace in their respective states,” he said.
“There will be no peace in the Middle East without a two-state solution. There can be no two-state solution without a Palestinian state. In other words, a Palestinian state is a prerequisite for achieving peace in the Middle East,’ Støre stressed.
Content retrieved from: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-802144.