by Miceál O’Hurley
BRUSSELS — According to a report from RTÉ News, relying on 2 sources, “Ireland, Spain and a number of other EU member states are considering 21 May as the date on which they will jointly recognise the State of Palestine”. Both the lower and upper houses of Oireachtas Éireann (Irish Parliament) overwhelmingly passed a motion recognising the State of Palestine in December 2014, “on the basis of the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital, as established in U.N. resolutions”.
Irish Government Delayed Recognition for Over a Decade
Despite the will of the Irish people having been democratically expressed by their elected representatives in a cross-party vote, Irish Governments have routinely blocked recognition of the State of Palestine on the basis, “it would tend to isolate Ireland”. The assertion previously asserted by successive Governments was that Ireland would be “isolated” if it recognised the Palestinian State seems belied by the fact that according to the United Nations, 143 of the 193 member states have already recognised the State of Palestine.
Critics accuse the Government of having lacked the courage to previously recognise the Palestinian State only changing their mind after tens-of-thousands of Palestinians died in Gaza since Israel launched military operations in the aftermath of the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks that largely targeted Israeli civilians. The roots of the problem, according to Middle Eastern experts, lies directly in the deprovision of rights of the Palestinian people since 1947 and more generally in Colonial era decisions such as the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement and the 1926 Balfour Declaration. An Taoiseach Simon Harris has claimed that the Irish Government’s desire was to recognise the Palestinian State at a time and in a manner that maximised the number of other States to do the same.
Israeli Ambassador Claims Recognition of Palestine was “Rewarding Terrorism”
Last week, Israel’s Ambassador to Ireland, Her Excellency Ms. Dana Eherlich stated, that the Irish Government’s push to recognise Palestinian statehood is “rewarding terrorism”.
It has been the continued position of Diplomacy in Ireland – European Diplomat that the 7 October attacks by Hamas are to be condemned without qualification, in their entirely, in the most stringent terms, as wanton acts of terrorists. It has also been our Editorial position that the underlying problems in the region are rooted in the historic and continuing abysmal conditions in which the Palestinian people are forced to live, subjected to systematic violations of their rights. The recognition of the Palestinian State will allow both Israel and the Palestinian people to address their conflicts through normal diplomatic channels as equals and thereby advance the cause of peace free of the use of force and terrorism which have been the hallmarks of Hamas’ un-democratic reign over the Palestinians of Gaza.
Palestine has been a non-member observer state of the United Nations General Assembly since November 2012. Motions for the United Nations to formally recognise Palestine as a Member State have continually been blocked by the highly dysfunctional United Nations Security Council, the latest arising from a Veto by the United States on 18 April 2024. Article 4 of the UN Charter provides that admission as a Member State is conditioned on a decision of the General Assembly following a recommendation of the Security Council. Notwithstanding the United States Veto of 18 April, 12 of the 15 United Nations Security Council members voted in favour of recognition of the Palestinian State.
U.S. Under Growing Pressure to Allow Vote to Go to UNGA
As domestic pressures rise across the United States the willingness to continue to thwart the General Assembly’s ability to consider admission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations may come into question. The United States is considered Israel’s most staunch allies. Recent cracks in relations have been showcased as President Joe Biden has made known his displeasure with the way Israel has conducted combat operations directed against Hamas operating in Gaza.
A recent Gallup poll recorded 51% of Americans remain more sympathetic toward Israelis with 27% now sympathising more with Palestinians. According to Gallup, the number of Americans sympathising with Palestinians is up 12% since 2013. Other polls indicate that while America’s youth are less pleased with Biden’s overall performance in the lead-up to the Presidential election in November, the Israel-Hamas conflict appears to have only marginal impact on their views.
Were Almost 35,000 Palestinian Deaths Necessary for Recognition?
Speaking on RTÉ’s ‘Morning Ireland‘ radio programme in April, the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland, Her Excellency Dr Jilian Wahba Abdalmajid, welcomed the initial indication from Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin that Ireland would recognise the Palestinian State. “I hope that this recognition by Ireland will be a reality soon and Ireland will lead other EU states to follow suit,” said the Ambassador. Her Excellency continued, “Palestinians deserved such recognition since the partition of 1947. It was time to recognise and acknowledge the right to self determination and the State of Palestine for the Palestinians“. Martin previously served as Taoiseach between 2020-2022 and during his time leading the Government he failed to lead the Government prioritise recognition of the Palestinian State.
The current conflict has claimed the lives of a reported 34,844 Palestinians to date. Some 1,410 Israelis have been killed since Hamas conducted raids largely targeting civilians on 7 October 2023. The Hamas raids, which included barbarous murders, mutilations, rapes and hostage-taking directed at Israeli civilians, including children, is considered the precipitating event for the latest round of Israeli operations in Gaza. Hamas, which used their singular election victory over the Palestinian Authority in 2007 and has maintained power in Gaza by refusing to allow elections since, temporarily enjoyed a temporary rise in support in the aftermath of the 7 October attacks on Israel,
In 2002, the Arab Peace Initiative declared their readiness to establish relations with Israel. This was reiterated during the 2023 Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit. It remains to be seen how issue of the readiness and willingness for Arab states in particular to establish relations with the State of Israel might be impacted by Israel’s war being waged in Gaza. The 33rd Arab League Summit is expected to reconsider this issue and it is deemed critical to any reduction of conflict and settlement in the ongoing conflict in Gaza and in establishing regional stability.
Israel Must Confront Reality of 2-States – But Will It Be A Solution or Obstacle?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been adamant that his Government is vehemently opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian State. According to Netanyahu, it is Israel’s policy and intent to, “maintain full security control over all territory west of the Jordan River”. Given the overwhelming majority of Member States in the United Nations having already recognised the existence of a Palestinian State Netanyahu’s position may merely be a reflection of a denial of reality.
Should more European countries elect to recognise the Palestinian State, as signaled by Ireland and Spain, Israel may have little choice but to deal with that reality even if it remains obdurate in refusing to recognise that reality. The United State may finally have to deal with the reality that its desire for a 2-State Solution can no longer be preconditioned upon Israel’s veritable veto and be forced to allow the admission of the State of Palestine come to a vote before the United Nations General Assembly.
