Sweden officially recognized a Palestinian state Thursday, becoming the third Western European nation to do so.

As tensions increase between Arabs and Jews over Israel's plans to build about 1,000 housing units in east Jerusalem, some countries grow impatient with Israel's control of the West Bank and other territories. Malta and Cyprus recognized a Palestinian state prior to Sweden.

For nearly 50 years, Palestine has had control of the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said Sweden, fulfilling a promise it had made when the Social Democratic-led government took office earlier this month, made the move because Palestine had met the international law criteria required for such recognition, according to The Associated Press.

"There is a territory, a people and government," she told reporters in Stockholm. "There are those who will claim that today's decision comes too soon. I fear it is rather too late."

Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman described the move as "a miserable decision that strengthens the extremist elements and Palestinian rejectionism."

"It's a shame that the government of Sweden chose to take a declarative step that only causes harm," he said.

Ashrawi, a senior Palestinian official, said the move was "a principled and courageous decision."

"It is our hope that other EU member states and countries worldwide will follow Sweden's lead and recognize Palestine before the chances for a two-state solution are destroyed indefinitely," Ashrawi said.

In early October, British lawmakers voted in favor of recognizing Palestine as a state despite the fact that the United States and European powers have so far refrained from recognizing Palestinian independence. Still, they have become increasingly critical of Israeli settlement construction.

According to the AP, Israel says Palestinians can gain independence only through peace negotiations, and that recognition of Palestine by the United Nations or by individual countries undermines the negotiating process.

Meanwhile, Palestinians say Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn't serious about the peace negotiations.

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