Idea has gathered momentum since Tánaiste hosted dinner of like-minded foreign affairs ministers in Brussels last month
Tánaiste Micheál Martin’s disclosure of these moves effectively stole some of the thunder from Simon Harris’ big day on Tuesday but needed to be done on that day. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
There was another item that was to the forefront of the politicians’ minds at the dinner, and one which Martin wanted to push. That was to act in concert to push for formal EU recognition of the State of Palestine. At around the same time, the Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez announced that he would hold separate discussions this week with Norway, Ireland, Portugal, Slovenia and Belgium to try to recognise Palestine. He said he wanted recognition for Palestine by July.
Their argument was that the recognition of the State was necessary for any future peace process. A month earlier then taoiseach Leo Varadkar had confirmed that a group of member states were in talks to give formal recognition to Palestine. He said that with Palestine having the status of a state, it would allow “a more equal negotiation to happen”.
“I discussed this with the Jordanian and Palestinian foreign ministers in the Munich security conference and senior officials from my department have travelled to the region in recent weeks at my request to further consult key partners on the details of this plan and how Ireland, with a number of European partners, could support this initiative,” he said.
“We want to keep the momentum up. There is a growing determination to do this tied to the peace initiative. We want a concrete proposal to be put,” said the sources.
Palestinian-Authority Gaza-Strip Israel-Hamas-Conflict Micheal-Martin Norway Spain Belgium
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ireland to Recognize Palestinian State, Says TánaisteTánaiste Micheal Martin announced in the Dail Chamber that Ireland intends to recognize the Palestinian state, becoming the first EU state to do so. This decision is seen as a diplomatic acknowledgment of Palestinian self-government and a political admonishment of Israel's actions.
Read more »
Palestine: Ireland will soon formally recognise state, Tánaiste tells DáilIreland and some other EU states to announce formal recognition of Palestine once peace initiative is underway
Read more »
Tanaiste reacts as biggest threats to Ireland namedA new report aims to give direction to Government on how to prepare for possible threats - including pandemics and infections - over the next three years
Read more »
‘Ireland has always stood on the right side of history’: Palestinian ambassador welcomes recognitionDr Jilian Wahba Abdalmajid said she hoped the recognition will be a reality soon
Read more »
Ireland Strategic Investment Fund to Divest from Israeli Companies in Occupied Palestinian TerritoriesThe Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) will sell its shareholdings in Israeli companies operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territories due to the perceived risk profile of the investments, valued at under €3 million. The fund will also review other investments in the region to ensure alignment with its investment parameters and objectives.
Read more »
Ireland to pull investment from six Israeli companies operating in illegal settlementsIreland is to pull its investment in six Israeli companies operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Read more »