Ireland says it will formally recognize Palestinian statehood by the end of this month; a move that according to Palestinian human rights activists will not stop Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip if no “real action” is taken.
Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland Micheal Martin told the country’s national radio station Newstalk on Wednesday that Dublin “will be recognizing the state of Palestine.” He said that the specific date is still “fluid because we’re still in discussions with some countries in respect of a joint recognition of a Palestinian state.”
“It will become clear in the next few days as to the specific date but it certainly will be before the end of this month.” Martin also said: “What is important here is we focus on the substantive issues of an immediate ceasefire.” “The suffering is immense. The death and destruction is immense, and people want it to stop and the international community want it to stop.”
Dublin has long said it has no objection in principle to officially recognizing the Palestinian state if it could help the peace process in West Asia.
However, two Palestinian human rights activists say that recognizing the state of Palestine will not stop Israel’s war in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Shawan Jabarin, general director of the Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq, and Lubnah Shomali, an advocacy manager at BADIL, a resource center for Palestinian refugees, are due to give talks in Dublin and Belfast this week. “I think this is a good step. Even if it’s late, this is a good, important step,” Jabarin said Friday.
“But the question is, which actions after that will they take? Without actions, without consequences, things will continue as it has forever.”
He said, “It’s not just the issue to give a symbolic step. We need also actions, we need consequences.”
Shomali also noted that the recognition of Palestine “doesn’t fulfil the obligation of Ireland and other third party states to prevent and stop genocide.”
