Ambassador welcomes plan for Ireland to recognise Palestinian statehood

Palestine's ambassador to Ireland Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid. File picture

The Palestinian ambassador to Ireland has welcomed comments by the Tánaiste about Ireland recognising Palestine as an independent State and urged such recognition would happen soon.

"Be in no doubt: recognition of a Palestinian state will happen," Micheál Martin said in the Dáil on Tuesday.

"We've discussed this between the Government parties and it is my intention to bring to Government a formal proposal on recognition when wider international discussions are complete." 

It is expected Ireland and other EU states could announce formal recognition of Palestine within weeks, pending a ceasefire or some peace initiative in the region.

Speaking on Wednesday morning, Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid said Ireland had always stood on the right side of history, justice, humanity and international law, so she had expected Ireland would lead in the recognition of the State of Palestine.

I hope that this recognition by Ireland will be a reality soon and Ireland will lead other EU states to follow suit.

She said Palestinians had deserved such recognition since the partition of 1947, and it was time to recognise and acknowledge the right to self-determination and the State of Palestine for the Palestinian.

Dr Wahba Abdalmajid also noted recognition of the State of Palestine had long been on the Irish programme for Government.

She acknowledged while international recognition of the State of Palestine would not change circumstances on the ground, it was something that would allow full membership of the United Nations, something to which she said the people of Palestine were entitled.

It would also give hope to Palestine that the international community recognised their right to self-determination.

“If the international community wanted real peace in the region, the Palestinians should be acknowledged and recognise their rights, the rights to self-determination," she told RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland.

"Without recognising the State of Palestine, without recognising the rights of the Palestinians, this region will be flaming forever.” 

Dr Wahba Abdalmajid said the events of October 7 “did not happen out of thin air”. The root cause of the problem, she said, was the denial of the rights of Palestinians.

“So, as long as the whole world and Israel are denying the rights of the Palestinians, this area, this region will continue to be flaming.” 

She added the Palestinian people were fighting for their freedom, for the acknowledgement or recognition of their rights and that their rights be respected.