Hamas strike on Israel - Threadbans in op - mod warning in OP updated 19/10/23

Exactly. 146 now to be exact - Sweden for instance has recognised Palestine as a state since 2014.

Anytime but now, literally anytime. Harris the PR machine has just helped Hamas, nothing else. Hamas have destroyed Gaza by using it as a military base to attack and to continue to attack Israel. Pathway to peace is impossible while you have militant groups armed to the teeth supported by an Iranian regime who want to wipe Israel from the planet. Anyone who thinks otherwise is naive. The best we can hope for while Iran continues it's current stance and support for HHH is for this war to stop perhaps with a peace settlement post hostage release and Hamas stopping all offensive operations and a resumption of a delicate ceasefire. This a least would stop the killing but nothing else will be possible until I suspect the current Iranian regime is overthrown most probably by internal revolution. You can't negotiate or even contemplate a 'Palestinian State' while HHH are being armed and encouraged by the Iranian regime.

Maybe you should read up about how Hamas came into power, the complete history. Palestinians need something to work towards, a goal. Israel alone wont eradicate Hamas, and a folly to think bombing Gaza into oblivion will achieve anything other than creating more enemies./Hamas style fractions.

That pier is just for optics. Don't be fooled. Far more aid can be brought in much more efficiently via trucks if Israel open all the crossings. Biden is also selling the bombs that causes the destruction and death. Biden is a stupid man.

I dont understand how posters can get enraged by us joining a long list of countries that recognise Palestine as a state. The majority of countries in the UN already recognise Palestinians sovereignty but because Israel gets upset posters think they should also do so.

Yes and no. There are now 146 countries that recognise Palestine. Israel claims not to recognise it but still has a border crossing with them so questionable there.

It's all to do with the timing. If this action had taken place 3 years ago, nobody would be batting an eyelid, most Jews that I know support a 2 state solution. Recognising Palestine today shows support for the "government" there. Hammas have been given a huge boost by today's moves by the 3 involved countries.

Be interesting to see as well how many of the US corporations that fund a huge part of our economy feel about it

No, the two groups need to stop attacking each other for a lasting peace, but that will never happen. Have you ever been there? There cannot be a lasting peace between those people, neither side is willing to give up what that would require. It is an unsolvable problem and it is ignorant to think there will ever be a lasting peace. You may get two or three years tops. Be grateful for that if it ever happens again.

Waste of time getting involved. We should have focused on fixing our own problems, instead of importing more.

Rewarding October 7th definitely won't help.

Yitzshak Shamir was warned by advisors not to prop up Hamas to weaken the PLO back in 80s but Hamas were seen as a useful asset at the time to stifle the PlO agenda. We saw Bibi employ the same thinking to stifle the PA and maintain the status quo until it dramatically backfired on him. Bibi is only intent on finishing Hamas now to stay in power. In any post Hamas world, he will ensure a variant of Hamas comes into being so he can continue the status quo. The last thing he wants is a moderate Government in Gaza.

I do wonder what Israel means when they threaten severe consequences to ireland and Norway ( and Spain once they recognise Palestinian statehood). Will be interesting if this spat does intensify will Israel ever be criticised here by the cohort of posters that never seem to think they do anything wrong.

We recognised the Palestinian state. The world moves on.

Hilarious to see folks take it so personally or is that fear maybe that it's all coming asunder and it's one more step towards Israel becoming a pariah state.

Netenyahu and Gollant have a warrant out for their arrests. And now 3 western countries have recognised the Palestinian state.

In fact this has rattled Israel so much that they released a well choreographed video via their foreign ministry to target Ireland beforehand as a threat, pulled their ambassador and have now threatened us with severe consequences!!

Talk about rattled, we are living rent free in their heads. They have overstepped the mark and the world is saying it.

What they are really terrified of is the Irish influence in the US and it is absolutely a thing. If it wasn't so galling it would be humorous.

They have proven to be a treacherous state, unworthy of diplomatic relations. That part of the world has been irreversibly set back because of the appeasement of Benjamin Netenyahu a bloodthirsty warmonger.

Israel won't do anything, at worst will withdraw their ambassador or make any Irish citizens travelling into the state of Israel apply for a visa before they travel..

As much as Michael Martin like to strut around on the world stage and make grand announcements like this, ultimately it's only symbolic and Israel has more important issues to deal with.

Because we're Irish and this is muppetry at it's finest. People dying on hospital floors due to neglect, thugs burning down buildings, nothing still on the Tuam investigation (among other egregious state-sponsored behaviours being investigated), but let's spend time on this.

This recognition, like all the others, is symbolic so it really doesn't amount to anything anyway - could've done it a decade ago. But, not politically expedient then.

Oh, and yes, it'll damage Israeli/Ireland relationships. Which will be more economically impactful, in a positive way for Ireland - good relations with Israel, or recognizing a Palestinian state?