Image: MEMRI
Introduction
On May 22, 2024, Norway, Ireland, and Spain announced that they would recognize a State of Palestine, formalizing the move on May 28. While the existence of elements in these countries that have a long history of antisemitic sentiment and actions, and open hostility towards Israel, make such a move unsurprising, since October 7, each of these countries has shown a great deal of antagonism towards Israel, and has expressed support for Hamas's position.
The pro-Palestinian positions and moves of this Norwegian-Irish-Spanish triad, which has tremendously helped Hamas, has become the backbone for support for them across Europe and globally, paving the way for others to follow suit.
There is a clear trend of recognition of a Palestinian state in the West. Nine countries in all have done so since April 2024. Additionally, Malta said it would do so "when such recognition can make a positive contribution, and when the circumstances are right," and Belgium discussed it but so far has not reached an agreement. Luxembourg has hinted that it may soon follow; the new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has as well. In France, the left-wing parties that joined the coalition that triumphed in the recent elections are also pushing for recognizing a Palestinian state.
According to the website of the Palestinian Authority, some 140 countries outside Western Europe already recognize a Palestinian state. Some of them – notably Russia, China, and South Africa – have official relationships with Hamas.
Norwegian political elements began inviting Hamas officials to the country in 2006, and top Norwegian government representatives have been meeting with them, building a relationship with them, and supporting them since 2007. Even post-October 7, Norway has refused to call Hamas a terrorist organization. In the Republic of Ireland, Sinn Fein, which is also today the largest party in Northern Ireland, has maintained a decades-long relationship with Hamas. Additionally, senior Spanish officials have expressed support for the Palestinian "right to resist" and for Palestine "from the river to the sea."
Hamas Praises Its Western Allies: Norway, Ireland, And Spain
Hamas, for its part, has praised the three countries for their support, recognizing that this has boosted its stature and facilitated its anti-Israel activity. It has also said that this support is both the result of and validation for jihad and armed resistance, and has called on other Western governments to do likewise. In a statement published May 22, the day the three countries announced their intention to recognize a Palestinian state, Hamas said: "We welcome the recognition of the State of Palestine by Norway, Ireland, and Spain, and we view this as an important step towards realizing our rights on our land and establishing our independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. We call on countries throughout the world to recognize our legitimate national rights and to support the struggle of our Palestinian nation towards liberation and independence and towards the end of the Zionist occupation of our lands."
Hamas official Husam Badran, who is currently in Doha, Qatar and is involved in the ceasefire talks on Gaza, said on May 22: "The European states' recognition of Palestine is the result of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and the steadfastness of the resistance."
Bassem Naim, who is Hamas's longtime contact with Sinn Fein – which notably in recent elections became the largest party in Northern Ireland with the largest number of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly, and in the July 4, 2024 UK elections became for the first time Northern Ireland's largest party in the British Parliament – called the recognition "an historic turning point" for the Palestinian cause on the international level, particularly in Europe. He added: "This will certainly encourage many countries to recognize Palestine as an independent state." He continued: "In the name of Hamas and the Palestinian people in the homeland and in the diaspora, we express our gratitude for the political courage shown by these countries despite the great pressure from the Zionist entity and its supporters around the world."
Naim stressed: "The consecutive recognitions [of a Palestinian state] are the direct result of the brave resistance and the legendary steadfastness of our people." This, he elaborated, constitutes a "turning point in the international community with regard to the Palestinian cause, and it will contribute to the lifting of the siege imposed by the Israeli entity and its supporters."
Norway – A 20-Year Relationship With Hamas, With Multiple Meetings With Its Officials – Including "Several" With Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar, The October 7 Mastermind Hiding In Gaza Tunnels
In his remarks on the announcement on May 22, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre called a Palestinian state "the only alternative that offers a political solution for Israelis and Palestinians alike: Two states, living side by side, in peace and security." He added: "The ongoing war in Gaza has made it abundantly clear that achieving peace and stability must be predicated on resolving the Palestinian question."
Following the October 7 Hamas attack, neither Støre nor Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt wanted to label Hamas a "terror organization." Støre had indicated that he would like to keep the door open for talks with Hamas, and was willing only to say, on October 9, that Hamas is "an organization that has conducted terror." This was despite a proposal put forth by the opposition Progress Party, whose leader stated: "The terror organization Hamas's slaughter of innocent victims in Israel is the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust during World War II... yet still the Norwegian government won't call Hamas a terror organization, like the EU, the US, Canada and Great Britain have done. I can't understand how that's possible." By October 11, Støre submitted to the pressure and conceded that Hamas is "a terrorist organization."
Also highlighting Norway's support for Hamas is the fact that Norwegian diplomat Leni Stenseth has been named as a defendant in the $1 billion lawsuit against UNRWA by 100 Israeli victims of Hamas's October 7 attack. The lawsuit states that UNRWA made the attack possible, and that the defendants "were warned repeatedly that their policies were directly providing assistance to Hamas" and that "in the face of those warnings, Defendants continued those very policies."
It has been almost 20 years since April 2006, when Hamas representatives were invited to Norway by the Palestine Committee. They included then-Hamas spokesman in the Palestinian parliament Salah Mohammed El-Bardawil and Mohammed Al-Rantisi. Norwegian Minister of International Development Erik Solheim said that the government would meet with them. The Hamas representatives' Norway visit was part of their trip to France, Austria, Germany, Sweden, and Italy.
That month, Støre, who was at the time Norway's foreign minister, said: "Norway's government has not invited Hamas to Norway, but if people with a Hamas background come here, we will meet with them." He also confirmed that the U.S. had contacted the Norwegian government to advise against such talks. Two Hamas representatives in the Palestinian Legislative Council had been set to visit Oslo on May 15 as guests of the Norwegian Palestine Committee.
Hamas minister Atef Adwan met in Norway with Gerd Liv Valla, head of the Norwegian labor union, and with Kare Willoch, a former Norwegian prime minister who had headed the Conservative Party, in May 2006. During a week-long visit to Norway in June 2006, Hamas MP Yahya Al-Abadsa met with Norwegian Foreign Affairs Ministry representatives.
Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Raymond Johansen was the first senior European official to meet with Ismail Haniyeh, then Palestinian prime minister in the new Fatah-Hamas unity government in March 2007. The two met in Gaza. At that time, the Norwegian government decided to maintain a relationship with Hamas, although that decision was reversed in August that year, following Hamas's violent takeover of the Gaza Strip in June.
Although he had reportedly met with Norway's special envoy for the Middle East peace process Tor Wennesland numerous times, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar refused to meet with him in February 2019 during Wennesland's visit to the Palestinian territories. But Wennesland did meet with Sinwar in late June 2021, in a failed attempt to help stabilize a truce following 11 days of Israel-Gaza fighting.
Also underlining the worsening Norway-Israel relations was the recent disclosure that, according to new research, the heroism of the Norwegian resistance that fought the Nazis and allegedly saved half the country's Jews during World War II is in question. Evidently, the Norwegian resistance was fully aware of the upcoming deportation of Jews to Auschwitz by the Germans, yet it did not try to save them. The vast majority of Norwegian Jews did not survive the Holocaust.
Ireland's Long-Standing Hatred Of Israel – Out In The Open Since October 7 – And Sinn Fein's 20-Year Relationship With Hamas
In announcing the decision to recognize a Palestinian state, Ireland's Taoisach (Prime Minister) Simon Harris said that "we have made this move alongside Spain and Norway to keep the miracle of peace alive. I again call on Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel to listen to the world and stop the humanitarian catastrophe we are seeing in Gaza." He also urged the EU to consider economic sanctions against Israel. Ireland had already joined the South Africa-led genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in March.
What is surprising about Ireland's recognition of a Palestinian state is that it did not come sooner, because of the general Irish hostility to Israel. This was explained as recently as St. Patrick's Day by then-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who said on that occasion that "we see our history in [the Palestinians'] eyes." It was only in 1993 that Ireland allowed an Israeli Embassy to open in the country – the last EU member country to do so – and was the first to call, in 1980, for a Palestinian state. It has also spearheaded criticism of Israel at the United Nations. Varadkar said on October 12, days after the Hamas attack, that Israel is engaging in collective punishment and does not have the right to breach international law in its response in Gaza, and expressed concern "about what I'm seeing happening in Gaza at the moment."
Sinn Fein, one of the major Irish political parties, and one of the only parties that have had significant electoral success on both sides of the border, was once known as the political wing of the Provisional IRA. The IRA's military wing was behind over 1,000 killings during the 40-year conflict in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles, and the Sinn Fein leadership was banned from the airwaves in the UK. That has changed since the Good Friday peace agreement in 1998, and Sinn Fein has renounced violence and the Provisional IRA has disbanded. Currently, Sinn Fein is the largest opposition party in the Republic of Ireland, and though it had disappointing results in the June 2024 general election there, it vowed to "learn and grow" and become a "formidable force" in Ireland's next general election. Sinn Fein has maintained a particular affinity with Hamas over the years.
Graffiti supporting Hamas and the Real IRA in the Bogside, Derry, Northern Ireland, March 22, 2008. Source: Alamy
Then-Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams announced in September 2006 that during his upcoming visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories he would be meeting with Hamas leaders, despite attempts by U.S. politicians to dissuade him from being seen to support Hamas. It should be noted that at that time, fundraising for Sinn Fein among Irish Americans was banned because of an IRA bank robbery in Belfast in which a man was killed. In April 2009, Adams met with Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza. During the meeting, Haniyeh gifted Adams with a kaffiyeh and other items.
To view a clip of the Haniyeh-Adams meeting, click here
Later that year, in December 2006, Ahmad Yousuf, political advisor to Haniyeh who was at the time the Palestinian prime minister, discussed Hamas's meetings with Sinn Fein leaders, in a "long dialogue with them." Most of them, he said, were held in Ireland, and the Hamas members were hosted by their top leaders. He said that Sinn Fein "tried to pass their experience on to us, because they have been struggling since 1920."
Saying that Hamas "wanted to learn from their experience," he explained: "This experience was useful to us, and we drew many lessons from it. They explained everything, and expressed their willingness to maintain contact. They will pass on their experience in struggle and politics to the Palestinians, or else we will go there again to take in the atmosphere over there. They were very cooperative, because of the 'historical affinity' between us, as they put it – or historical fondness or warm relations." This, he added, was "the first visit, and other meetings will follow soon."
To view the clip of Yousuf's statements on MEMRI TV, click here or below:
Sinn Fein's public meetings with Hamas members continued. In August 2016, Sinn Fein Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Northern Ireland Pat Sheehan, along with Democratic Unionist Party leader Jeffrey Donaldson, met with Aziz Dweik, Hamas speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, in Hebron.
In December of that year, Declan Kearney, at the time an MLA and now Sinn Fein National Chairman, led a Sinn Fein delegation to meet with Hamas leaders in Istanbul. Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk presented Kearney, who wore a kaffiyeh around his neck, with a plaque with a map of Palestine from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean and a key, the symbol of the Palestinian right of return.
In June 2020, Sinn Fein hosted an online event titled "Voices from Palestine." One of the speakers was Bassem Naim, head of Hamas's international relations.
Announcement of the "Voices from Palestine" online event (Source: Facebook.com/europalforum/posts/the-irish-sinn-féin-party-is-holding-a-webinar-this-evening-at-8pm-the-webinar-t/3993828850691761, June 24, 2020
The event, which also featured Kearney, Uri Davis of the Fatah Revolutionary Council, and Moustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative and PLO Central Committee member, was opened by party leader Mary Lou McDonald, who was reported on October 9 as having said that she had met with Hamas during a visit to the West Bank.
Promoting the event, Ms. McDonald added her name to an international petition organized by Palestinian groups against "the increasing extremism of the Israeli occupation forces and settler enterprise."
Bassem Naim, in his statements in the event, enumerated his governmental roles in Hamas's Gaza and noted that in 2014 he had left the government and started working only for Hamas, "mainly in the area of international relations and international media." Stating that the Israelis "will initiate a new round of violence," he said that "therefore, no one can accuse the Palestinians that they are responsible for destabilizing the situation." He added: "I strongly appreciate the efforts of Irish people generally along those last decades of supporting our struggle, but we are expecting actions." Reiterating that "they are destabilizing the situation, they [Israelis] are initiating a new round of violence. Palestinians will not keep silent, they will resist by all means," he underlined, adding: "Therefore I hope we will hear, we will see actions, I insist."
To view the video of this online event, click here or below:
Following the online event, the July 2020 issue of Sinn Fein's international bulletin focused on condemnation of Israel. In an interview on Sky TV following October 7, Naim, unsurprisingly, refused to accept that any of those killed by Hamas on that day were civilians.
Immediately after October 7, Sinn Fein representatives expressed solidarity with Palestinians while also, like the rest of the left in Ireland, failing to criticize the Hamas atrocity, despite pressure to rethink its positions. It took a week for the party's foreign affairs spokesman Matt Carthy to issue a statement saying that there was no justification for the killing of civilians on any side, and a few more days for party leader Mary Lou McDonald to condemn the Hamas attack "outright." As of July 2024, Ms. McDonald still had a Palestinian flag on her X profile.
In February 2024, Northern Ireland's First Minister and Sinn Fein Vice President Michelle O'Neill argued that Hamas was a future partner for peace in the Middle East.
It should be noted that Sinn Fein is not alone in its views. In Northern Ireland, just hours after the Hamas attack, MLA Gerry Carroll of the People Before Profits party posted on X: "Victory to the Palestinian Resistance" with two clenched fist emojis.
There has been much criticism of the Irish government's move to recognize a Palestinian state. Irish-Israeli dual citizen Thomas Hand, the father of nine-year-old Emily, also a dual citizen, who was captured by Hamas and held captive in Gaza for 50 days, said that he was "ashamed to call myself Irish" and that "knowing everything that Hamas has done – I'm sure they've seen the videos from their Go-Pros... They've seen all the evidence – [they say]: 'Okay, here's your reward... We recognize you as a state.'" It is notable that when Emily was released, Varadkar had tweeted that "an innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned," with no reference to her having been taken hostage by Hamas.
In February, the Irish women's basketball team refused to shake hands with the Israeli team ahead of their match in the 2025 Women's EuroBasket qualifier in Latvia in February. The sport's governing body in Ireland, Basketball Ireland, said that it had informed FIBA Europe that the team would not take part in pre-match formalities, including "exchanging of gifts" and "formal handshakes before or after the game" and that the Irish players would "line up for the national anthem by our bench, rather than center court." It added, "Basketball Ireland fully supports our players in their decision."
Spain: While Hamas TV Features Imams Calling For A Muslim Return To "Al-Andalus," Spanish Officials Respond To October 7 By Saying Palestinians Have "The Right To Resist" And Israeli Diplomats Should Be "Expelled" From Spain; Spain Backs South Africa's Genocide Case Against Israel In ICJ
Spain's antisemitism goes back to the days of the Spanish Inquisition, which was formally abolished only in 1834. In September 2023, two dozen Jewish groups in the U.S. and Spanish-speaking countries called on Spain's linguistic authority to remove antisemitic definitions from its official dictionary, calling them "outdated" and "offensive." According to one entry, a Jew is "a greedy person or usurer." Such definitions, they said, derive from Spain's tradition of antisemitism that led to the expulsion or forced conversion of the country's entire Jewish population in 1492.
Today, Spain is known not only for its very active neo-Nazi movement but also for its support for extremist Palestinian groups, including in the government. In November, a politician who responded to the October 7 attack by saying that Palestinians have "the right to resist" was named minister of children and youth. She had also said that "entire Israeli diplomatic delegation must be expelled from the Spanish State."
The day Spain announced that it would recognize a Palestinian state, on May 22, Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz declared in a video address posted on X that "Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea." Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles called Israel's military operation in Gaza "true genocide."
Following the declaration, on June 6, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares announced that his country said it would back South Africa's Gaza genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). On June 28, Spain filed a Declaration of Intervention in the case, becoming the first European state to do so.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the recognition of a Palestinian state "an historic decision that has a single goal, and that is to help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace." This, he said, "is the only way to realize the solution that we all recognize as the only possible one to achieve a future of peace: that of a Palestinian State that coexists alongside the State of Israel in peace and security."
Subsequently, on June 6, Spain asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for permission to join South Africa's case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.
Reflecting Spanish sentiment among the public since October 7 are the Palestinian flags being unfurled at events such as sports events and bullfights. Dozens of Spanish universities have announced that they are suspending all ties with Israeli institutions. A recent survey by a Spanish think tank found that 78% of Spaniards favored recognizing a Palestinian state. A UNRWA teacher told Al-Jazeera: "Spain's solidarity with us has been amazing – be it by recognizing Palestine's statehood or backing South Africa in its International Court of Justice case against Israel." He added: "We can see how passionate Spanish fans are [about Gaza] when they wave the Palestinian flag during their football matches."
Over 50 groups in Spain have sent a letter calling on the Spanish government to combat antisemitism. The letter stated that "well-known Spanish political representatives, including high-ranking government officials, are participating alongside antisemitic organizations" and encouraging antisemitism.
Hamas officials frequently refer to the future Muslim retaking of Al-Andalus, i.e. Andalusia, that was lost in the Christian Reconquista of Spain in 1492. In May 2012, Dr. Subhi Al-Yaziji, Dean of Quranic Studies at the Islamic University of Gaza, expressed this desire on Hamas's Al-Aqsa TV. He said: "The conquest of Andalusia is an old dream, something Muslims proudly hope for and will continue to hope for in the future." He added: "We place our hopes in Allah and trust that the day will come when our triumph will not be restricted to Palestine. Our hopes go beyond that – to raise the banner of the Caliphate over the Vatican, the 'Rome' of today, in accordance with the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad: 'Constantinople shall be conquered!'"
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, click here or below:
More recently, in a November 2020 lecture at Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, Palestinian political researcher Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khatwani underlined the goal of retaking Spain. He emphasized that the coming Islamic state will, once established, easily "influence [global] events," "mobilize its armies to conquer Rome," and be "capable of regaining Al-Andalus." This state, he added, "believes in one thing only: the spread of da'wa and jihad. It does not care about winning or losing. It does not fear defeat or death. It cares about spreading da'wa, and mobilizing armies to rule the Earth with Islam." In order to accomplish this, it would "maneuver and negotiate, and it would take political actions that would conceal the Islamic goals."
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, click here or below:
Conclusion: Other European Countries Join Norway, Ireland, And Spain In Rush To Reward Hamas And Recognize A Palestinian State – In An Attempt To Appease The Growing Islamist Elements Among Their Populations
Following the Irish, Norwegian, and Spanish announcements of recognition of a Palestinian state, the Palestinian ambassador to Ireland, Dr. Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, said, on May 26, that she was looking forward to the Palestinian flag being flown over Leinster House (the Irish parliament) in Dublin. A few days later, on May 29, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez met with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Madrid. Mustafa said afterwards: "On behalf of President [Mahmoud] Abbas and the government of Palestine, and the people of Palestine, we warmly welcome Spain's recognition of the state of Palestine. This recognition strengthens our resolve to continue our struggle for a just and lasting peace."
With Ireland and Spain, 10 EU members, including, as of June 4, Slovenia, now officially recognize a Palestinian state (Norway is not an EU member but its foreign policy is usually aligned with it). It was expected that the move would open the floodgates for the rest of the EU to follow suit. (However, Slovenia's opposition has recently filed a demand for the country's Constitutional Court to annul the decision, which was made by the parliament; the Slovenian Democratic Party said that the recognition "causes long-term damage to Slovenia by supporting the terrorist organization Hamas.")
Another example is the Netherlands. Last week, the minister for foreign trade and development, Reinette Klever, expressed her support for a Palestinian state, in addition to backing European sanctions that were announced this month against Israeli citizens and entities. Since October there have been ongoing violent pro-Palestinian protests there, rallies were even held by ISIS supporters at The Hague in early July. It was also revealed by Dutch intelligence in May that across Europe, at least 10 jihadi attacks had been prevented in the past year, some of which were connected to the pro-Palestinian cause.
Many of these Western governments that have recently recognized a Palestinian state have something in common: They are trying to appease the protestors who fill their streets clamoring against Israel, sometimes waving Hamas and Hizbullah flags and chanting in support of the Houthis. What will likely happen next as the Gaza war comes to a conclusion is that their anger and attention will turn to protesting in the same way against their own countries.
* Steven Stalinsky, Ph.D. is Executive Director of MEMRI.
