Ireland appoints ambassador to Palestine and recognizes genocide

Ireland appointed an ambassador to Palestine for the first time on Tuesday, while lawmakers two days later approved a non-binding motion recognizing that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

Senior ministers confirmed that Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid would leave her current position as Palestinian head of mission in Ireland.

In May, Dublin said it recognized Palestine as “a sovereign and independent state.” consisting of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and agreed to establish full diplomatic relations.

Spain and Norway recognized a Palestinian state on the same day as Ireland, while Slovenia followed suit a week later, drawing retaliation from Israel.

They are among the most outspoken critics of Israel’s brutal attacks since October 7, 2023, which have killed more than 43,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Formal diplomatic relations between Ireland and the State of Palestine were established in September.

Last month, the Palestinian Authority formally notified Dublin of its intention to upgrade its representation in Ireland from a diplomatic mission to a local embassy, under the 1961 Vienna Convention, which guarantees the protection of diplomatic personnel.

The upgrade means that the diplomatic mission will now have the full range of privileges and immunities applicable under the Vienna Convention.

Meanwhile, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Tanaiste also announced that Dublin plans to intervene in the South African genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by the end of the year, London news agency PA reported .

Michael Martin also highlighted the country’s commitment to a strict interpretation of the Genocide Convention, as well as the “detailed and rigorous legal analysis” the government conducted in its decision to intervene in the case.

Ireland has repeatedly stated that it would file a declaration of intervention with the International Court of Justice as soon as South Africa filed its brief in the case, which it did last Monday.

“Ireland is a strong supporter of the court’s work and is deeply committed to international law and accountability,” Martin said.

The motion urged the government to impose trade, travel and diplomatic sanctions on Israel, with parliamentary debate centering around the failure to pass a previous bill that would have imposed trade restrictions during the current legislature imposed on Israeli settlements in Palestine.

Following an opinion from the UN Supreme Court in July that Israel’s presence in the Palestinian territories is contrary to international law and must end, the Irish government has sought legal advice on the bill.

Martin stated that the International Court of Justice opinion has changed the legal context of the bill, but said the EU has exclusive competence to take legal action on trade matters relating to its member states, including Ireland.

“The government’s analysis is that substantial changes will be needed to most, if not all, of the provisions of the bill to try to bring it into line with EU law and our own constitution, while allowing imports from the occupied territories be banned,” he added.

The motion also urged the government to immediately suspend all military trade with Israel, halt dual-use licenses to Israel and ban the use of Irish airspace and airports for arms transfers to Israel.

Martin stated that there were no military exports from Ireland to Israel, and emphasized that the Irish government regulates the export of dual-use items in accordance with international guidelines.