The prime ministers of Luxembourg, Malta, and Monaco officially recognized a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday.
“It is the beginning of a renewed commitment to hope, a commitment to diplomacy, to dialogue, to coexistence, and a two-state solution. To the idea fragile, but still possible, that peace can prevail,” Luxembourg's Prime Minister Luc Frieden said at UNGA.
"There are moments in history when the cause of peace demands both moral clarity and political courage,” he said, adding that the decision was “not a decision against Israel or its people.”
Andorra and Belgium said that they would recognize a Palestinian state once all the hostages were released and when Hamas was no longer in power.
“The effective conduct of diplomatic relations with the new state of Palestine, including the opening of Belgian embassy and the conclusion of international agreements, will be carried out once the objectives of the New York Declaration have been achieved,” Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said.
Earlier, in a Monday interview with CNN, Frieden framed his country’s planned recognition of a Palestinian state as a step toward achieving a two-state solution.
The interview followed a post Frieden shared to X/Twitter where he stated that he had explained Luxembourg’s position on a two-state solution to President Isaac Herzog and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa.
Last week, Frieden, along with Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel, announced their intention to recognize a Palestinian state.
Speaking to CNN’s Becky Anderson, Frieden said, “Right now, we are seeing that Prime Minister Netanyahu doesn't want a Palestinian state. Hamas doesn't want to have a democratic Palestinian state. And that's exactly why we thought now is the right moment to give the two-state solution a second chance.”
Luxembourg’s prime minister noted that he had discussed with other countries that recognition of Palestinian statehood would go along with certain conditions, such as that there would be “elections in the West Bank and Gaza.”
He later noted in the interview that things such as Hamas releasing the hostages would not be conditions of recognition, but rather “elements” that go along with Luxembourg’s recognition, because “we cannot make our decision dependent on Hamas, because Hamas is a terrorist organization, and they don't want a Palestinian democratic state.”
Frieden emphasized that he was taking these steps to achieve a “democratic” Palestinian state, saying that recognition was “not the end of a process. It's the beginning of a process.”
Later that day, at UNGA, Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela said that a two-state solution would be the “worst possible outcome” for Hamas.
“If Palestinians can see a peaceful and realistic road to nationhood and self-determination, it fatally undermines deciding cries of Hamas,” Abela said.
Frieden also highlighted his displeasure with the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s war in Gaza, claiming that what was occurring in the latter is “a violation of international humanitarian law.
Frieden also touched on the possibility of sanctions on Israel if it were to take steps towards West Bank annexation, not agree to a ceasefire, or not facilitate enough aid into Gaza.
"We are taking decisions against the actions of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government"
“We are not taking a decision against Israel,” Frieden said. “We are taking decisions against actions of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government with which we disagree, because those actions are against a rules-based international order. What we can do is at the European level to prepare for sanctions if there is no ceasefire, if there is no return to the necessary humanitarian aid that the people in Gaza deserve.”
At the end of the interview, Frieden noted that he expected more Arab states in the Middle East to recognize Israel as a step occurring in tandem with European recognition of a Palestinian state.
“I also count on the Arab states to support the right of existence of a free and democratic Israel. That is very important as well in this process,” he said. “It's not a one-sided process. It's a push by the international community.”
Frieden did not mention what pressure or what actions he was taking to move Arab countries towards recognition of Israel.
Jordan praises international recognition of Palestine
Jordan's King Abdullah II praised Western countries’ recognition of Palestine in his address to the UNGA.
"Today, the world has taken an important step toward achieving a just and inclusive peace. This global consensus on a two-state solution sends a message that the conflict must end and that the two-state solution is the only viable resolution," the Jordanian leader said.
"Now, we must act to stop all measures that undermine this solution. While we work to end the war in Gaza, we must invest all efforts into restoring hope, and the commitment of many countries today to a future of peace marks the beginning of this long and challenging process."