Europe has long been at odds over the Middle East. The decision of Ireland, Spain and Norway to recognize a Palestinian state tells us more about the internal politics of these countries than anything else.
Obviously, the decision by three European nations to take this step is newsworthy and will have diplomatic repercussions, perhaps putting pressure on their allies to adopt a firmer stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
However, it is also reasonable to say that, so far, no pressure, even from the United States, has had a major impact on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's thinking.
Israel responded by recalling the ambassadors of the three countries, accusing them of rewarding terrorism with the decision.
Conversations about what statehood recognition means in practice and how it is useful for the Palestinian cause in the long term are entirely valid.
But the reality is that the stakes are quite low for most European countries when it comes to issues relating to Israel and the Palestinians.
In Ireland, Spain and Norway, support for a Palestinian state is in line with the wider electorate and is unlikely to receive any political backlash.
This is not necessarily the case in other European countries. While supporting a long-term peaceful two-state solution, Germany has been consistent in its support for Israel, as have Hungary, Poland, the United Kingdom and others.
The main consequence of this is military support, which inevitably raises questions about complicity in the war against Hamas – namely the use of weapons to kill civilians.
The UK government is currently under pressure to publish legal advice on whether or not arms sales to Israel breach international law.
But these are largely internal questions. For a long time, European governments have primarily considered the Middle East – especially Israel – as something the US deals with, in part due to US military operations in the region.
European countries simply do not have much influence in this area.
The Middle East was not something that significantly dominated European thinking until the consequences of the Arab Spring led to a huge influx of immigrants into continental Europe.
In addition to the practical implications of mass immigration, the Middle East also posed a security risk, with terrorist groups hiding among refugees and committing atrocities across the continent.
This is not to say that Europeans did not care about the Middle East, specifically the Palestinian cause. Large sections of Ireland support Palestine due to its own history of occupation, while Norway mediated the famous Oslo Accords.
The European Union has historically sent huge amounts of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territories and supported a two-state solution.
In fact, the European Commission responded to Wednesday's news (22):
“The European Union has a long-standing commitment to the vision of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine, living side by side with Israel in peace and security.”
It remains to be seen whether this boosts some kind of peace process or not. This is not a coordinated European effort.
Norway is not a member of the EU and the idea that 27 member states would all be willing to go as far as Ireland and Spain seems extremely unlikely.
Yes, this could put pressure on big players to take a stand. But Europe does not speak with one voice and is unlikely to do so anytime soon.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
