Ireland Parliament Votes Unanimously for ‘Palestine’
Ireland’s lower house of Parliament approved a nonbinding resolution calling on the government to formally recognize the state of Palestine.
The measure that passed unanimously late Tuesday night in the Dail was sponsored by the left-wing Sinn Fein party. It calls for a State of Palestine on the basis of the 1967 borders with eastern Jerusalem as its capital.
Celebration after historic Dáil decision 2 recognise Palestinian right 2 self determination. Long live Palestine! pic.twitter.com/d5IgqccOhq
— Gerry Adams (@GerryAdamsSF) December 10, 2014
The motion is similar to one passed in October by the upper house of Parliament, the Seanad.
Ireland’s Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan told the Associated Press his government is considering recognition of Palestinian statehood as a possible tactic for kick-starting Middle East peace talks, an idea bitterly opposed by Israel.
“I’ve no difficulty in principle with the idea of early recognition, if I believe it can contribute to achieving a settlement of the conflict,” Flanagan told lawmakers. “The present stalemate is not acceptable.”
He credited Sweden with inspiring the entire 28-nation EU to consider Palestinian statehood. He said Ireland still hoped to make the move as part of a wider Mideast peace deal, not before it or unilaterally in advance of achieving an EU consensus.
The issue of recognition for a state of Palestine has been spreading across Europe.
Spain, France and Britain recently passed similar nonbinding motions. Sweden has also announced it would recognize a Palestinian state.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
