Ireland recognizes Israeli ‘de facto annexation’ of Palestine | Occupied West Bank News

It will not be voted on now that, if approved, it would expel the Israeli ambassador to Ireland and impose sanctions against Israel.

The Republic of Ireland has been recognized by the Israeli authorities as a “de facto annexation” of Palestinian land, a European Union government said was the first use of the phrase for Israel.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said on Tuesday that the parliamentary motion tabled by the Sinn Fein opposition party was “a clear sign of the depth it feels throughout Ireland”.

“The scale, pace and strategic nature of Israel’s actions in expanding the locations and the intentions behind it have led us to be honest about what is really happening on the ground. … It is a de facto annexation,” Coveney, a center-right Fine Gael party, told parliament .

“This is not what I, or I think this house, is saying lightly. We are the first EU state to do that. But it reflects our tremendous concern about the intent of the actions and, of course, their impact,” he said.

If approved, the government would have to expel the Israeli ambassador to Ireland and impose economic, political and cultural sanctions on Israel.

Most countries see the settlements that Israel built in the territory captured in the 1967 war as illegal and as an obstacle to peace with the Palestinians.

Coveney, who has been an Irish representative to the UN Security Council in recent weeks in talks on Israel, has insisted adding the condemnation of the recent rocket attacks by the Palestinian group Hamas before Israel before the motion is approved by the government.

Some Irish parliamentarians wore Palestinian flags or checkered keffiyeh-patterned face masks.

The left-wing Sinn Fein party refused to support the government’s amendment to condemn Hamas attacks.

Irish parliamentarians wearing masks with Palestinian symbols in solidarity with Sheikh Jarrah and Palestine. #SaveSheikhJarrah ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/SbM2Atgb7L

– Abed???? #SaveSheikhJarrah (@Abd_HajYahia) May 25, 2021

The motion ended 11 days after the worst ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian armed groups in the days since the ceasefire ended.

The violence sparked major pro-Palestinian protests in Dublin.

At least 253 Palestinians were killed, including 66 children, the Gaza health ministry said, injuring about 2,000. At least 12 people were killed in Israel.

The Irish parliament or Dáil will vote on Wednesday on the People Before Profit amendment to the Sinn Fein Private Members motion.

Credit @sinnfeinireland for bringing the motion, but saying that he had received support from the whole Dáil – left and right. There is a growing consensus that Israel must take into account decades of occupation, expropriation and ethnic cleansing.

– Ronan Burtenshaw (@ronanburtenshaw) May 25, 2021

Some looked favorably on Ireland’s behavior on social media.

“Ireland has become the first EU state to recognize Israel’s de facto violation of international law in Israel,” wrote Ronan Burtenshaw, editor of the UK’s socialist magazine Tribune. “A milestone on the way to isolating the apartheid situation as we did in the 1980s. Next stop: Boycott, Divestment and Penalties. “

Sinn Fein politician John Brady wrote this tweet: “We have forced a massive change in the Irish Government’s position. They have stated that Israel has de facto annexed Palestinian land. Ireland is the first EU country to declare that Israel’s actions violate international law. they are needed “.

Richard Boyd Barrett of People Before Profit said Wednesday’s vote was “historic.”

More than 5,200 people have signed Barrett’s petition, calling on the Irish government to “publicly declare the state of Israel guilty of war crimes.”