Epigraph:
“Do not unto your neighbor what you would not have him do to you; this is the whole Law; the rest is commentary.” Beit Hillel, a Jewish teacher from the first century
Irish Parliament
Source: The Jordan Times
DUBLIN — Irish lawmakers urged their government Wednesday to recognise Palestine as a state in a symbolic motion that sailed through parliament unopposed.
Ireland’s parliament is the fourth European assembly to call for the recognition of Palestinian statehood since October.
Lawmakers in France, Britain and Spain also endorsed similar motions, reflecting growing frustration with the deadlocked Middle East peace process.
Sweden has gone even further, officially recognising Palestine as a state in a move that prompted Israel to recall its ambassador.
The non-binding motion agreed by lawmakers in Dublin called on the government to “officially recognise the State of Palestine, on the basis of the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital, as established in UN resolutions”.
This would be “a further positive contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”, it added.
The government is not bound to follow the motion but Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan said Ireland supported early recognition of a Palestinian state “in principle”.
“We have always supported a viable two-state solution and will continue to support that in any manner and by any means,” Flanagan told parliament.
European politicians have become more active in pushing for a sovereign Palestinian state since the collapse of US-sponsored peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in April, and ensuing conflict in Gaza, where more than 2,000 Palestinians and dozens of Israelis were killed this summer.
“It’s been suggested that recognition now might help jump-start a stalemate process. This was the judgement made by Sweden and indeed it is the spirit of this evening’s motion,” Flanagan said.
Despite being proposed by the opposition Sinn Fein Party, the motion had cross-Party support, dispensing the need for a vote.
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, who was refused entry to Gaza by Israel during a visit to the region last week, said the motion was about inspiring hope.
“We must stand with the Palestinian and Israeli citizens who want peace — who are taking risks for peace. The passing of this motion is an important contribution to this,” Adams said.
The motion also called on the Irish government to do everything it could internationally to secure “an inclusive and viable peace process”.
The chairperson of the Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Martin O’Quigley, welcomed the move.
“It’s very important, but just as important is for the Irish government to make Israel accountable for what has happened and what is happening in Palestine,” he told AFP.
The Israeli embassy in Dublin said, however, the motion was premature.
“A vote in favour of this motion, therefore, is a vote for Ireland, a neutral country, to intervene in a foreign conflict in favour of one national movement at the expense of another,” the embassy said in a statement.
“That is not how peace is brought about.”
Quoting the Guardian
The French and Irish parliaments have become the latest in Europe to call on their governments to recognise an independent state of Palestine, confirming a trend, alarming for Israel, that reflects changing public opinion across the continent.
In Paris on Thursday the senate ratified an earlier decision by the national assembly, while MPs in Denmark were holding the first reading of a motion urging the government to recognise Palestine as a state alongside Israel within its 1967 borders.
Wednesday’s vote by Irish MPs drew criticism from Israel, which argues that recognition prejudices the outcome of peace negotiations. The Israeli foreign ministry accused the Irish parliament of giving voice to “statements of hatred and antisemitism directed at Israel in a way which we have not heard before”.
In October Israel withdrew its ambassador from Stockholm when Sweden became the first western EU member state to recognise Palestinian statehood. Eastern European EU members recognised it years before they joined in 2004.
Subsequent non-binding parliamentary votes in Britain, France and Spain – the first two being permanent members of the UN security council – calling on their governments to follow Sweden have not meant instant diplomatic change, but the decisions are symbolic and are thought likely to influence policy eventually.
The latest votes came against a background of high tension on the ground in the West Bank as thousands of Palestinians gathered on Thursday to mourn a senior official who died in a confrontation with Israeli troops on Wednesday.
In Britain David Cameron appears to have shifted in favour of Israel by echoing its argument that negotiations must precede recognition, to the private annoyance of some Foreign Office diplomats.
Poor prospects for the resumption of meaningful peace talks aiming at a two-state solution between Israel and the PLO mean pressure is likely to mount, though new Israeli elections in March may give pause for thought. The recent war in Gaza, in which 2,000 Palestinians and dozens of Israelis were killed, is another factor behind this growing trend. The nature and intensity of criticism of Israel in Britain in particular showed a marked change.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/11/france-ireland-europe-recognise-palestine-israel
The true of the matter is that the recognition of Palestine as sovereign state is long overdue. There is no justification in hesitating to grant such inalienable right to these unfortunate people who are under brutal occupation only because their oppressor is the favor of some powers or victims of certain dark periods in human history, a dark period totally not the making of Palestinians.
They are being unjustly treated under the glare of the ‘civilized world’.
Perhaps the civilized world is waking up to its title
Alhumdollilah,All praise belongs to God.prayers and patience of Palestinian people has been fruitful. It will bring peace and pleasure to them.It will also lessen their frustrations and pain InshaAllah.
Alhamdulillah The signs of Allah The Allmighty are started in the fever of the pelistinians. Please remember we muslims have to pray alot to achive this goal. This is the first fruitful gift given by The Allah Allmighty.
In NWFP NOW KPK,the doctors community say Ireland was discovered by Pathan doctors.
The common moral among them is justice.In 1974 only in NWFP Ahamedi lawyers won the petition inthe Peshawar high court for admission on merit basis.In the historical decision the respected judge asked the Khyber Medical college to delete the question religion from admission forum.
It was filed on behalf of two Ahmedi studens,who were denied admission on the basis of merit.They were asked to get the minority seat.
The 3rd Khalifa hadhrat Mirza Nasir Ahmed(May Allah have mercy on him) was backing up and praying for them.
One of them was my oldest brother Ejaz Aslam a neurosurgeon,The other was dr,Amtullah a paediatrician in Chicago mashaAllah.
This decision opened the door for the future students,who didn’t face any discrimination.
In Ireland ,a number of doctors belong to NWFP or KPK.
My three real doctor brothers have visited Ireland for education purposes.