Espen Barth Eide told The Associated Press that “there is a growing consensus in the international community from Western countries, from Arab countries, from the Global South, that we need to establish a Palestinian Authority, a Palestinian government, a Palestinian state — and the Palestinian state has to be recognized.”
Eide said many issues need to be addressed, including the security interests of Israel and the Palestinians, recognition and normalization of relations after decades of conflict and the demobilization of Hamas as a military group.
“These are pieces of a bigger puzzle,” Norway’s chief diplomat said. “And you can’t just come in there with one of these pieces, because it only works if all the pieces are laid in place.”
But even if the puzzle is completed, it’s unlikely to gain traction with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long been opposed to a Palestinian state. Israel also argues that pushing ahead with such a move now would be a reward for terror in the wake of the October 7 massacre by Hamas that killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. READ MORE
