Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
IRELAND HAS YET to decide on how it will respond to calls from Palestine to be afforded recognition as a state by the United Nations later this month.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs this morning said that the government had yet to formally adopt a position on the matter, saying the government would have to wait until Palestine made a formal proposal before it could respond.
Ireland’s position would be “informed by its longstanding support for the position of Palestinian statehood”, the spokesman said, adding that Ireland’s precise position would depend on the wording of Palestine’s formal proposals.
Palestine has yet to confirm whether it will seek recognition as a full member – a move which can be vetoed by any of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – or whether it will instead seek an upgrade to ‘observer state status’.
The former requires a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly – the body of all member states – to be carried, as well as the veto-free approval of the Security Council, while the latter can be offered by a simple majority.
Foreign affairs minister Eamon Gilmore has previously told the Dáil he supported the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state, but Ireland has so far declined to recognise Palestine as a full state itself.
Ireland upgraded the status of the Palestinian mission to that of a full embassy in January, but explained that it would not recognise Palestine as a sovereign state unless the entirety of the EU was to do so.
The news comes as the New York Times reports attempts from Barack Obama’s administration to delay Palestine’s bid for recognition, hoping to avoid a confrontation on the Security Council.
The US has made it clear to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas that it would use its Security Council membership to veto a Palestinian request for full membership.
Analysts told the NYT, however, that the US did not have enough support to block any attempt at giving Palestine observer status, upgrading it from its current status as a ‘non-member entity’.
The Obama administration is anxious that the US could appear isolated if it is among a minority of states to vote against either of Palestine’s potential options.
Writing for TheJournal.ie this week, Israel’s ambaassador to Ireland Boaz Modai said Palestine should return to the negotiating table with Israel – saying that the people of Israel, and “the whole world”, was waiting for peace talks to resume.
Palestine’s ambassador Hikmat Ajjuri said recognition of a Palestinian state would be a clear messsage to Israel that it had no valid claim to any parts of Palestinian territory, and that its “colonisation” of Palestinian land was illegal.
Fianna Fáil has previously tabled a Dáil motion which would force Ireland to support Palestine’s bid for statehood, but the motion was removed from the Dáil order paper a day after being tabled.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Ireland of all countries should understand the illegallity of Isreals colonisation.
Typical Ireland, don’t say anything until one of the bigger countries do. A bunch of crowd followers & yes men.
Here is an idea.Why don’t the Palestinians put down into their resolution that they recongise Israel and seek further peace talks to settle final boarders.
Imagine Iran would have to vote on that resolution recognising Israel. Even Israeli M.K’s said if something along those lines was put down.Israel must vote for it.
I think the wording is important, but remember the Palestinians will be breaking the Oslo Accord by doing this.A unilateral declaration of statehood will make the Oslo Accord null and void.
are you all aware of the fact that there are professional israel trolls out there (appox 2,000 of them, most probably “interns”) on the internet all day, sprewing forth your type of opinions Charlotte. Just saying
Well Gemma at least I have an opinion and I have lived in a Muslim country with the people and I know the way they think and the way they teach their children to hate Jews and Westerners.
I can’t understand why Israel makes it a prerequisite of peace talks that the Palestinians recognise Israel’s right to exist as a state yet the Israelis oppose outright the converse, it’s a two-way street.
Eoin. Thats not true. Even the right wing PM Bibi stood in the US Congress and said their needs to be a Palestinian State .The Israeli Preisdent Peres has been saying it for years. There are large lobby groups in Israel calling for the two state solution. But I bet you can’t name one Palestinian lobby group lobbying Abbas for the 2 state solution can you?
Why would Ireland vote for a State Of Palestine ? Sure are we not all good Christians here, who go to Church on Sunday? We all love our Lord Jesus the son of G*d, don’t we ? We really should not forget then that the Lord Jesus was born a Jew in the land of Israel and He lived all his life as a Jew in Israel and He died for the human race as a Jew in Israel at the hands of the Romans. So WHY would good and decent Irish people support the likes of a terror group such as Hamas and create a State for Hamas to continue to TRY to destroy Israel. If Ireland votes for a Palestinian State then G*d help us all , the rest of the world will know us for being two faced. Happy Sunday !
What a load of bollox!
They obviously have Internet access in the asylum…
Why Mr Potty Mouth Van Alcorn do you not like the truth, as we here in Ireland have been taught in our homes and schools and Christian Churches for such a long time. You really do not seem to understand the mentality of groups like Hamas ,as well as their declared intention to destroy the State of Israel ,they also hope to convert all westerners to Islam by force if need be. So go and wash out your dirty mouth !
AM CHAI YISRA”EL!!!!!
Israel should be recognised as a county/state within palestine.. Everyone happy????
I contacted Fine Gael about this very question 2 weeks ago, and they still haven’t done me the courtesy of even replying to my mail.
Sorry, that post was not meant to be in response to your post.
Dear All, The UN recognised Palestine in 1988 and as of approximately 130 countries have accepted Palestine (with East Jerusalem as its capital) including India, China, Brazil, Malaysia and the Russian Federation. The Palestinian Authority wish that Israel abide by its commitments to the Road Map (which is an international agreement) insisting Israel do not build any settlements including natural growth ones. The pace of illegal settlements is making the possibility of a just and durable peace harder by the day. UN membership for Palestine is now long overdue and I agree with the UN Secretary General about Palestine’s rights. A two-state solution will be based on the 1967 lines (following President Obama’s support for this). Incidentally there are over 150 UN Resolutions on Palestine including the ruling of the International Court of Justice in the Hague with respect to the illegality of the “separation wall” including that which goes through Jerusalem. God bless
have your say