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Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said that Ireland needs to send a signal to Palestinians that it believes in their right to self-determination, adding that “there is light at the end of the tunnel” for them as several EU countries are prepared to recognise their state.
Yesterday it emerged that Ireland, Spain and a number of other EU member states are considering 21 May as the date on which they will jointly recognise the State of Palestine.
The move is designed to provide moral and diplomatic backing to the Palestinian position in the event of negotiations that would lead to a two-state solution in the Middle East.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Six One News, Mr Martin explained that recognition of the State of Palestine was to be done “at the right time” under the Programme for Government, adding that it would be done in coordination with some EU member states.
Over the past few months, he said, discussions around this had “intensified”, and that the timing was now right.
“We have to send a signal to Palestinians that we believe in their right to a state, to a right of self-determination,” he said.
Mr Martin said this would be “the Palestinian state as defined by the 1967 borders and within UN frameworks”.
There have been attempts to erode and undermine this, Mr Martin said, by settlements in the West Bank and by the “divide and conquer approach taken vis-a-vis the West Bank and Gaza”.
Asked who would run Gaza, he said that what was needed “immediately” was a technocratic Palestinian government”. Mr Martin said that Israel was very much negatively opposed to the recognition.
“My view is, strategically Israel has never nurtured or encouraged moderation within Palestine and has undermined the Palestinian authority, and those who’ve endeavored to develop peace and a proper society and system of government, and they’ve been undermined all the way.
“What we’re saying to the Palestinian people is there is hope. There is light at the end of this very very dark tunnel. Because a number of EU states are now prepared to recognise your state,” he added.
Speaking about the situation in Rafah, Mr Martin said it was “impossible to comprehend” how Israel can go ahead with the invasion of Rafah, describing it as “collective punishment on an unparalleled scale of an entire population”.
“It’s unconscionable that this invasion would take place. There will have to be accountability in respect of Israel’s actions against the people within Gaza, and within the West Bank.
“What’s happening to children is quite shocking,” Mr Martin said, adding the level of human suffering “is at a scale that is unconscionable”.
“The idea that anyone would put more horror on top of the horror that has already happened in Gaza – invading Rafah will cause immense suffering and undermine the humanitarian effort”.
Earlier, Taoiseach Simon Harris said he spoke to his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez earlier this week and they both have a “clear plan” in relation to recognising Palestine.
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However, Mr Harris has said that neither he nor Mr Sanchez wanted to put a date into the public domain.
Mr Harris and Mr Sanchez spoke by phone on Monday morning after a bilateral meeting between the two leaders in April where efforts to recognise the state of Palestine topped the agenda.
“There is never a wrong time to do the right thing and the right thing to do right now is to recognise the State of Palestine,” Mr Harris told reporters this morning.
He said the hope of a two-state solution must be kept alive and that this cannot be done if Palestine is not recognised.
Conversations are still ongoing with other countries and Mr Harris said he will be speaking with other leaders in the hours ahead.
“The time is coming closer now to do the right thing for Ireland to show leadership with a number of other countries in terms of taking forward the two-state solution proposal,” he said.
Last month Mr Martin discussed the issue in depth during meetings in Egypt and Jordan.
It is understood that the likeminded countries wanted to wait until a UN General Assembly vote on a resolution that would recognise the Palestinians as qualified to become full UN members, a largely symbolic vote that would nonetheless reveal which other EU countries could be minded to formally recognise Palestinian statehood.
That vote is expected to take place tomorrow.
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