Stockholm, October 30 (RHC)-- The Swedish government has officially recognized Palestine as an independent state amid fury from the Israeli regime over the move. “Today, the government takes the decision to recognize the state of Palestine,” Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said in a Thursday statement. And she added: “It is an important step that confirms the Palestinians’ right to self-determination."

Sweden became the first major European country to officially recognize the state of Palestine, joining 130 other nations, including Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, that had already made a similar decision. The move came less than a month after Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven announced that his government decided to recognize the state of Palestine.