The Irish government may officially recognize Palestine as a ‘state’ on Wednesday. NDTV reported this information citing a source related to the matter.
EU members Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and Malta have signaled in recent weeks that they plan to recognize Palestine as an independent state.
They argue that a two-state solution is essential for lasting peace in the region. The Irish government said on Tuesday evening that the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister would speak to the media on Wednesday morning. But it is not known what to talk about.
Recently several countries have recognized Palestine as an independent state. The Bahamas officially recognized Palestine as an independent state on May 8.
Originally in 2012, Palestine was recognized as an observer state by the United Nations General Assembly. The country’s ambassador was then allowed to participate in UN bodies, but was not given any voting power.
On April 18, the United States vetoed a resolution requesting full membership of the United Nations Security Council. In that vote of the 15-member Security Council, 12 states were in favor of Palestine. The United Kingdom and Switzerland abstained from voting.