In a remarkable development, Norway has announced its commitment to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits Norway, should the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue an arrest warrant for him. Norway’s Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide, said in statements on Tuesday that ‘it is the court that decides whether to issue an arrest warrant. ‘If that happens, all signatories to the Rome Statute of the ICC have to respond to that,’ Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said on Tuesday.
The statements attracted the attention of the Israeli media, with the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation describing Norway as ‘the first European country to threaten to arrest Netanyahu and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Galant’.
In a related context, Ireland and Spain announced their intention to recognise the State of Palestine. Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris confirmed that his country will recognise the State of Palestine in May, noting that Ireland is moving in coordination with other countries in this direction.
The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, confirmed that Spain will recognise the State of Palestine on 21 May, adding that other European countries such as Malta, Slovenia and Ireland are on their way to recognise the State of Palestine. Borrell emphasised the need for a two-state solution to achieve lasting peace in the region.
From the website: Fez News