The formal acknowledgement of Palestine as a state by the Government on Wednesday has been generally applauded by a variety of civil society organisations, oppositional political entities, and Palestine sympathisers. Nevertheless, the action attracted considerable censure from Israel and its backers, with the Israeli government intimating that this could be viewed as an incentive for Hamas, leading to international repurcussions.
Planned discussions are to take place in the imminent future regarding the Israeli response, upon the arrival of ambassador Dana Erlich in Jerusalem for talks with their foreign ministry. Among the potential ramifications is the possibility of limiting Irish NGOs’ ability to access the West Bank and Gaza in the aftermath of previously reported conflicts.
The foreign minister of Israel, Yisrael Katz, characterised the move as an “exhibition of idiocy” with its overarching implication being endorsement of “terrorism”. Katz further prognosticated “severe fallout”.
In what Israeli ambassador titles as ‘An award for Terrorism’, he rebukes Ireland’s decision to acknowledge Palestine as a state. Katz stated resolutely, “The message I wish to convey today is unequivocal: Israel will not tolerate actions that compromise its sovereignty or jeopardise its security.”
Alternatively, Palestinian diplomats greeted the move with enthusiasm. The Palestinian Authority’s president, Mahmoud Abbas, the head of Fatah (controlling the West Bank portion of Palestinian territory but not the Gaza Strip which is under Hamas’ rule), expressed his gratitude to Taoiseach Simon Harris in a telephonic conversation. As per the information provided by the Government Buildings in Dublin, Abbas interpreted the recognition as “a beacon of hope for the Palestinian people”.
In the conversation, Harris clarified to Abbas that the prime motive behind the decision was to preserve the chances of a two-state peace resolution between Israel and Palestine. Harris pointedly condemned the October 7th terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas, describing the organization as savagely terrorist.
On Wednesday morning, the decision was publicly announced at the Government Buildings. Harris drew a parallel between the struggle to attain recognition of Palestinian statehood and the erstwhile fight by the newly independent Irish State for global acknowledgement around a hundred years back.
“Being internationally acknowledged and asserting our position on the global platform was of paramount significance to the founders of our State,” he recounted.
Acknowledgement carries a potent political and metaphorical significance. It symbolises our perspective that Palestine possesses and should be able to defend the comprehensive rights of a sovereign nation – encompassing self-rule, self-determination, territorial wholeness, and security – whilst also acknowledging Palestine’s own responsibilities under international law.
In Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, the Prime Minister, released a parallel proclamation, while Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish Premier, addressed the Spanish Parliament and portrayed the decision as a move to support a two-state resolution. However, he also intimated it was a reaction to the Israeli offensive on Gaza.
Pedro Sánchez stated, “It’s high time to transition from rhetoric to tangible steps”, reassuring the numerous innocent suffering Palestinians that we stand with them and that hope exists.
Authorities in Dublin echoed a hope that more European countries would follow suit shortly. Over 140 nations already accept a Palestinian state, although most EU countries and the United States do not.
In Washington, the White House expressed disagreement but did not denounce the decision outright. “Joe Biden, the U.S president, insists that a Palestinian state should be materialised through direct party negotiations, not unilateral recognition,” stated a spokesperson.
The recent weeks saw numerous hints towards the announcement, which was applauded widely in the Arab world.
Bassem Naim, a prominent Hamas leader, also joined in the endorsement of the decision. He said to AFP that these continuous acknowledgments result directly from the courageous defiance and the extraordinary strength displayed by the Palestinian people, a response that Irish officials had anticipated, they stated.