POLITICO
Jonas Gahr Støre is the prime minister of Norway.
This week, Norway recognized the state of Palestine, underlining that Palestinians have a fundamental, independent right to self-determination, and that both Israelis and Palestinians have the right to live in peace and security in their respective states.
Norway has been consistent in its belief that there will be no peace in the Middle East without a two-state solution. And there can be no two-state solution without a Palestinian state. In other words, a Palestinian state is a prerequisite for achieving lasting peace in the Middle East.
Since the Oslo Accords 30 years ago, the general approach has been that recognition of Palestinian statehood would follow a peace agreement. However, we all now see that this has proven untenable. We can no longer wait for the Middle East conflict to be resolved first.
In the absence of a peace process and a political solution to this conflict, everyday life has gone from bad to worse. Neither Palestinians nor Israelis have lived their lives in security and peace. Terrorism and violence from Hamas and other militant groups have undermined the trust that’s essential to achieving lasting peace, while Israel’s illegal settlements have undermined the territorial basis for a viable Palestinian state.
