Ireland, Spain could recognize Palestinian statehood later this month — report
Formal announcement likely coming May 21 after symbolic UN vote on Palestinian membership Friday, Irish broadcaster says; Malta, Slovenia have said they intend to take same step
DUBLIN, Ireland — Spain, Ireland and two other European Union member states are considering recognizing a Palestinian state on May 21, according to a report by Ireland’s national broadcaster.
RTE News on Wednesday evening said contacts between Dublin and Madrid had intensified with a view to the countries jointly recognizing Palestinian statehood. Parallel contacts on the same subject have also been made between Slovenia and Malta, the report said.
According to the report, the countries have been waiting for a vote by the United Nations General Assembly on May 10 calling to recognize the Palestinians as qualified to become a full UN member.
In a joint statement on March 22, Spain, Ireland, Malta and Slovenia said they had agreed to take the first steps toward recognizing a Palestinian state.
On May 6, Irish Premier Simon Harris and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez said in identical statements that they had discussed their joint desire to recognize a Palestinian state.
“Formal recognition of Palestine is important as part of an acknowledgment that a two state solution is the way to bring about peace and stability in the region,” they said.
Spoke with @sanchezcastejon this morning on the wish of both Ireland and Spain to recognise the State of Palestine.
Formal recognition of Palestine is important as part of an acknowledgment that a two state solution is the way to bring about peace and stability in the region.
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) May 6, 2024
Spain and Ireland have long championed Palestinian statehood. The efforts come as a mounting death toll in Gaza from Israel’s offensive to root out the Hamas terror group prompts calls globally for a ceasefire and lasting solution for peace in the region.
Israeli officials have balked at moves toward Palestinian statehood while 132 hostages remain held in Gaza, arguing that recognizing a Palestinian state in reaction to the war would essentially reward terror and reduce the chances of a negotiated resolution to the Gaza conflict.
The war was sparked by Hamas’s onslaught in southern Israel on October 7, during which some 1,200 people were massacred amid brutal atrocities including rape and torture. Another 252 victims were abducted into Gaza, where 128 still remain, many of them deceased, along with four Israelis held there for nearly a decade.
Since 1988, 139 out of 193 UN member states have recognized Palestinian statehood.
Analysts say the UN vote Friday will be mostly symbolic without the UN Security Council also approving recognition of a Palestinian state as qualified for full membership. The US, which has a law prohibiting funding to any UN agency that recognizes a Palestinian state as a full member, would be likely to veto any attempt to pass such a resolution.
