The Government's decision to recognise Palestine as a state is a "welcome move" and was not intended to "appease Hamas or infuriate Israel".
Sinn Féin Monaghan County Councillor Colm Carthy said Israel and Palestine can interpret the move "whatever way they like" its intention was to clearly outline that the Irish Government and Irish people want to see a ceasefire in Gaza, peace in the Middle East and to recognise Palestine as an independent state.
Councillor Carthy said the coalition's decision to recognise Palestine is "a long time coming" since Sinn Féin first passed a motion to do just that 10 years ago. He dismissed statements from both Hamas and Israel praising and criticising the Irish government's stance respectively. "It doesn't matter what the response from Israel and Hamas is," Cllr Carthy told the Joe Finnegan Show, "It is a step in the process in holding Israel to account in Palestine. More urgently, it is to try to bring about actions that will force the hand of Israel to stop the mass starvation, to stop the collective punishment and relentless attacks on civilians and the war crimes of Israel."
