Ireland's Non Recognition of Palestine

Abstract

Through seven semi-structured interviews with elite political figures, utilising a constitutive recognition theoretical framework, this paper bridges a gap in the academic literature where modern study of Irish state recognition practices, their place in the European Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) framework and Ireland's non-recognition of Palestine are largely absent. Results reveal Irish recognition policy is now constitutive, with political considerations driving decisions at the expense of legal criteria that might support Palestinian statehood. In absence of consensus, Ireland is unwilling to act independently of EU partners to recognise Palestine, preferring to remain aligned with European and international allies. Since 2014, building consensus on Palestinian affairs like recognition has become increasingly difficult. A split in the current coalition government between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil on when to recognise Palestine was revealed, reflecting a wider trend of divergence on the issue at the EU level. Ireland is struggling to hold Palestine's position on the agenda in an EU distracted by geopolitical challenges, divided on the Palestinian question, and increasingly sceptical of maintaining common foreign policy positions. The research question is worth answering, as examining...