Irish Minister Advocates Palestinian State, Calls for Boycott of israel

Sunday, 7 January 2018

Irish Minister Advocates Palestinian State, Calls for Boycott of israel

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Irish Minister Finian McGrath. (Photo: Finian McGrath Page)

Irish Minister Finian McGrath has expressed support for boycotting Israel over “unfair” treatment of Palestinians. Reported the Irish Examiner.

The Irish Independent politician, who has served as Minister of State for Disability Issues since May 2016 made his comments following Trumps declaration of Jerusalem being the capital of Israel and after threatening to cut off aid to UNRWA, the main UN agency established in 1949 to provide relief assistance to millions of Palestinian refugees.

In a recent interview with The Irish Examiner McGrath was critical of the US role in inciting violence in the area, and expressed that his views are shared by many Irish citizens.

Talking about an Irish prioritization of a Palestinian state in 2018, McGrath said, “It is something that we all feel very strongly about and that is something that I put into the program for government.”

“We want to make sure that that message goes to the United Nations and we are advocating that at the UN and that is our position. It is non-negotiable; it is a very important issue for us.”

He also advocated for boycotting Israel until they comply with international law:

“I don’t like boycotts in my heart because I prefer dialogue and interaction but I think we have reached the stage now and particularly in recent weeks now where [Donald] Trump and the Israelis were saying that Jerusalem will become a capital of Israel. And that has provoked me, that has provoked me very seriously.

“So my personal view is we have to start looking at the whole economic sanctions area now because it just is unfair. The vast majority of the international community, they want to see Palestine recognized, they want to seem treated with respect and their human rights recognized and that’s not going to happen, so I think we have to up it a gear.

“But we have to up it a gear at the UN and at the EU. But also in relation to if it comes to it [boycotting] I will support it.”

McGrath’s determination to declare a Palestinian state in 2018 is shared by other Irish Ministers, such as Tánaiste Simon Coveney, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who declared that Trump’s decision was “premature and ill advised”.

“Jerusalem is one of the permanent status issues which is to be settled in a final peace agreement in the Middle East. It has been the united position of the international community for decades, as set out in UN Security Council resolutions, that a resolution of the Middle East conflict will include agreement for Jerusalem to be the capital of both Israel and the future state of Palestine,” Coveney said to the Irish Times.