Ireland, Norway, and Spain officially recognize Palestine as of today.
Ireland, Norway, and Spain hope that this symbolic gesture will focus attention on the need to end decades of conflict in the Middle East and revive the two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians.
Israel reacted angrily to this move and accused all three countries of rewarding terrorism.
Israel also withdrew its ambassadors from these three countries and officially reprimanded their representatives in Israel.
However, Hamas and Palestinian organizations have welcomed this recognition.
Most UN member states recognize Palestine as a state, although a few European countries hold a different view.
