Denmark now stands alone in Scandinavia as the only country that does not recognize Palestine as a state. This became clear after the Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced at a press conference that Norway officially recognizes Palestine as an independent state. “Good morning. The Norwegian government has decided to recognize the state of Palestine,” said Jonas Gahr Støre initially and continued: “The only solution to the conflict and peace in the Middle East is a two-state solution.” The recognition will come into effect on May 28th. The Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide was also present at the press conference. With this decision, Norway follows Sweden’s example, which recognized Palestine as a state in 2014. According to Reuters, it is expected that Spain and Ireland will make similar decisions on Wednesday, while Slovenia and Malta have signaled similar intentions.

Denmark still does not recognize Palestine as a state. Jonas Gahr Støre also emphasized at the press conference that Israel has the right to defend itself within the framework of the law: “We condemn attacks on civilians, and hostages should be released,” he said referring to Hamas’ terrorist attack on October 7th last year. Updates…