FALCON POWERS – Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, announced on Tuesday in Dublin that Ireland intends to move towards recognizing a Palestinian state in the coming weeks. Martin stated that he will present an official proposal to the government regarding the recognition of a Palestinian state following broader international discussions.
In a speech before the Irish parliament, Martin said, “There is no doubt among any of you that the recognition of a Palestinian state… will happen.”
He emphasized that delaying recognition “is no longer convincing or defensible.”
Martin later told the local news outlet “The Journal” that the official proposal will be submitted in the next two weeks.
He mentioned that he has been discussing this matter with other countries involved in peace initiatives over the past six months. Last month, leaders of Spain, Ireland, Slovakia, and Malta expressed their readiness to recognize a Palestinian state in a joint statement.
Ireland has long maintained that it has no principled objection to officially recognizing a Palestinian state if it helps the peace process in the Middle East, but the war in Gaza has given this issue renewed impetus.
Martin stated, “I have no doubt that war crimes have been committed, and I strongly condemn the ongoing bombardment of the people of Gaza.”
He stressed that recognizing a state for Palestinians “can be an incentive to help the people of Gaza and the West Bank and enhance the Arab Peace Initiative.” The Spanish government announced on Tuesday that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will meet with several of his counterparts in the European Union next week to seek support for recognizing a Palestinian state.
Spain, Ireland, Malta, and Slovenia announced last month that they would work together towards recognizing the Palestinian state.
Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong stated that Canberra will consider recognizing a Palestinian state, marking a policy shift as the international community seeks a two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Since 1988, 139 out of 193 member states of the United Nations have recognized the Palestinian state.
