Gerry Adams urged government to recognize Palestine

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams TD has urged the Irish government, “in light of the unprecedented UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to all Israeli settlement in the Palestinian occupied territories, to now implement the Oireachtas motion from two years ago and formally recognise the state of Palestine.

Deputy Adams said:

“Last Friday night the UN Security Council passed by 14 votes to nil a resolution calling for an end to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. Currently there are almost half a million Israeli settlers living on Palestinian land that has been stolen. The UN resolution demands that ‘Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem’ It describes such settlements as having ‘no legal validity’ and warns that their existence threatens the two state solution.

“Two years ago, the Dáil and the Seanad voted to recognise the Palestinian state but the Government has not acted on that commitment. Since the beginning of this year, several hundred Palestinian homes in the West Bank have been demolished by the Israeli authorities and 1,062 people, including 553 minors, have been made homeless. The Israeli authorities have destroyed approximately 150 internationally-funded development projects, which has cost the EU an estimated €58 million.

“I have raised this issue with the Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the Dáil on several occasions this year. But nothing happened.

“It is long past time that the Irish government formally recognised the state of Palestine. The rights of the Palestinian people to statehood should not be dictated by Israeli opposition.”

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