What does it mean to recognise Palestinian statehood?
Ireland, Norway and Spain will be the latest to do so
IT IS A step to “bring peace to the Middle East”, according to Simon Harris, Ireland’s prime minister. On May 22nd his country, along with Norway and Spain, said that it would formally recognise Palestine as a state. Israel recalled its ambassadors from all three countries in response; its foreign minister condemned the trio’s decision as a “distorted step” and said it was evidence, in the wake of Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7th, that “terrorism pays”. Ireland, Norway and Spain are joining the majority of countries: almost three-quarters of members of the UN recognise Palestine. What exactly does that mean—and who are the holdouts?
Explore more
From the May 25th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from The Economist explains
What do Greenlanders think of being bought?
Donald Trump’s desire for Greenland, and a shabby visit by his son, reignite the independence debate
What would Donald Trump gain from seizing the Panama Canal?
The president-elect claims the crossing is controlled by China and rips off American consumers
Where does Santa come from?
How a miracle-working Greek bishop, Dutch folk figure and early New York icon became the ubiquitous symbol of Christmas
Who are the main rebel groups in Syria?
They were united against the country’s dictator. Now they have little in common
Is RFK junior right to say America allows more toxins than the EU?
He is, but things are slowly beginning to change
What would it cost to kill coal?
The price of shutting down coal power, and what would be gained