Spain, Ireland and Norway formally recognized a Palestinian state on Tuesday in a coordinated effort denounced by Israel. The trio announced last week the recognition would come into force on Tuesday, a watershed moment that broke with decades of previous policy and showed the diplomatic chill Israel finds itself in. The act has powerful symbolic value given that most other Western European countries take the position that Palestinian statehood can only come after direct negotiations between the parties. “This decision of Ireland is about keeping hope alive. It is about believing that a two-st…