Tánaiste Micheál Martin will seek Government approval this morning for the formal recognition by Ireland of the state of Palestine as a sovereign, independent state.
This will establish full diplomatic relations between the two countries and there will be Dáil statements on the recognition this evening as a Palestinian flag is flown at Leinster House.
Taoiseach Simon Harris will tell the house that the recognition is an act of powerful political and symbolic value which sends Palestinians a message that in this, their darkest hour, Ireland stands with them.
Once the Cabinet gives the formal green light to recognition, the Palestinian mission in Ireland will be upgraded to an embassy after a request is made by the Palestinian authorities.
It will also see the appointment of an ambassador to Ireland from the state of Palestine.
While the present representative office of Ireland in Ramallah will be upgraded to an embassy and the current Irish representative to Palestine will become an ambassador.
The Tánaiste will tell Cabinet that Ireland’s clear and consistent position over recent decades has been for the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory to end, and for Palestinians to enjoy the same freedom and right to self-determination as others.
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The sustained Israeli assault on Gaza – specifically on the civilian population, as well as the denial of sufficient humanitarian aid over a sustained period of time – has made this process more urgent.
The Taoiseach will tell the Dáil later that Palestine should be able to vindicate the full rights of a state – including self-determination, self-governance, territorial integrity and security – as well as recognising its own obligations under international law.
Ireland was the first EU member state to endorse the idea of Palestinian statehood in 1980.
A number of European States have concluded that Palestinian self-determination can no longer wait until the end of a process of negotiations between the parties.
Recent months have seen intensified efforts by Arab partners to chart a way out of the current crisis, resulting in the development of the ‘Arab Peace Vision’, which prioritises concrete steps to implement a two-state solution, building on the principles of the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002.
The Tanaiste discussed this in Brussels on Sunday at event featuring European and Arab nations.
Last September, the Tánaiste met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and acknowledged the need to develop a critical mass of European countries that would support the two-state solution.
In the following months, following the Hamas attack of 7 October, there has been a series of diplomatic and political engagements between taoisigh, the tánaiste, and officials leading up to Ireland’s decision on recognition, taken in coordination with Spain and Norway.
