A SENIOR Fatah official, currently in Ireland to lobby the Government to support a bid to seek recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN, has said he is “hopeful” that Ireland will vote Yes if the issue comes before the UN General Assembly in September.
Dr Nabil Shaath was speaking following a meeting with Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore yesterday.
“We rely on Ireland and hope that it won’t let us down at this crucial time,” Dr Shaath said. “Irish support is a very important part of our psyche.”
“We have received support for the achievement of statehood from Ireland for a very long time and we are pleased to hear that it will continue to play a leading role in supporting our quest for the creation of our independent Palestinian state.”
Mr Gilmore, however, did not give a clear signal that Ireland would vote in favour of recognition at the UN. In answer to a question in the Dáil yesterday, he repeated that if the matter arose at the UN in the autumn, the Government would consider Ireland’s response “very carefully”.
“We will take into account factors such as Ireland’s long-standing support for the achievement of a Palestinian state, the exact terms and nature of what may be proposed, the positions of EU partners and other friends, the progress on the wider peace process and our assessment of the practical impact of any such decision,” he said.
He noted that the Palestinians themselves had not yet decided exactly what, if any, action they would seek to take at the UN.
“There is thus no proposal on the table on which we can take a view, although our general support for the establishment of a Palestinian state is well known.
“In discussions at EU level, however, I have agreed with the view that assuring either side now of our support would be premature, and simply reduce the incentive on them to return to real talks, which is the more important objective.”
Mr Gilmore said he told Dr Shaath that “the bonds of friendship between Ireland and the Palestinian people are strong and enduring and we would very much wish to see a Palestinian state established in the near future”.
He added that he had assured Dr Shaath that the “the cause of peace in the Middle East ranks at the very top of Ireland’s foreign policy priorities”.