Simon Harris, the Taoiseach, has stated that by the end of the month, Ireland will acknowledge Palestine as a state. He added that he sincerely hopes this would not lead to any disruption of their diplomatic relationship with Israel. Mr. Harris stated this in response to a conflict that has emerged following a phone conversation between himself and the Israeli President, Yitzhak Herzog. During this call, Ireland’s intentions to acknowledge Palestine were addressed.
Ireland, followed by certain European countries like Spain, aims to recognise the Palestinian state, which was discussed during Mr. Harris’s recent phone conversation with President Herzog. A report from RTÉ highlighted sources close to the Israeli President claiming that Mr Herzog expressed concerns that the independent recognition of Palestine might damage the chances of the hostages being released by Hamas in Gaza, and possibly escalate attacks on Israel.
The Irish Government responded to the report by stating that the anonymous brief provided to RTÉ did not accurately convey the overall contents of the discussion. Later during a media interaction in Edgeworthstown, Co Longford, at the National Famine Commemoration, Mr Harris made clear that he was not interested in a dispute with the Israeli President.
The Taoiseach reiterated that his discussion with President Herzog was frank and respectful, and that his role was to represent Ireland’s position and voice the concerns of its people. Mr Harris said that Ireland’s stance regarding the Middle East, particularly Gaza and Israel, remains steady and clear.
Ireland hopes for an immediate halt to violence, unrestricted access to humanitarian aid in view of the immediate humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the implementation of a two-state solution. To this end, he said that in the coming days, Ireland aims to acknowledge the existence of both states.
When questioned about Ireland’s plans to formally acknowledge Palestine even if it affects diplomatic relations with Israel, the Irish Prime Minister responded by saying that this recognition is not an unilateral directive. He added that there are several other countries who share similar views and anticipates that more countries will follow this course of action in the coming weeks.
The Taoiseach of Ireland has confirmed the country has no intention of cutting off diplomatic ties. The timing of the official acknowledgement of Palestine was brought up in a query to Mr Harris, who explained that important political progressions and a specific order of actions need to be adhered to before a precise date can be set, which he anticipates will be established within a few days. He, however, assured everyone that the recognition of the state of Palestine is definitely part of their plan and since the month is nearing an end, it will happen quite soon.
On a related note, a communique from the Israeli embassy in Dublin, disclosed that during a discussion held last Friday, President Herzog communicated his apprehension about Ireland acknowledging Palestine unilaterally, as it could pose more complexities rather than resolutons. The president expressed concerns regarding the entity that Ireland is recognising as a state, considering Gaza is governed by Hamas. He questioned how such a recognition would benefit Palestinians located in Gaza.
The statement further questioned the message that this move would send to Hamas, especially after the inhumane attacks carried out on the 7th of October and those that followed. There are fears that this move might hinder the chances of rescuing the 129 individuals currently in the captivity of Hamas.