Irish presidential candidate condemns calls to exclude Hamas

An Irish Presidential candidate has condemned demands from the international community for Hamas to be excluded from any future Palestinian state, claiming that Hamas is “part of the fabric of the Palestinian people”, Middle East Eye reported on September 23rd.

While speaking on BBC radio Ulster on September 22nd, the candidate, Catherine Connolly, made the statement about Hamas. The candidate has received backing from left-wing Irish political parties, such as the Social Democrats, Labour and the Green Party. She has also been backed by the left-wing Irish nationalist Party Sinn Féin.

In the official statement that announced the United Kingdom’s recognition of a Palestinian state, British prime minister, Keir Starmer, went on to say that Hamas could have no future role in the governance or security of the Palestinian people.

Although Hamas seized power in 2007, foreign leaders dictating who should govern a future Palestinian state makes the formal recognition of Palestine an even emptier symbolic victory.

In this scenario, of foreign powers telling the Palestinian people who should govern them and how they should be governed, the recent recognition of a Palestinian state by Canada, France and the United Kingdom seemingly amounts to a merely hollow and purely symbolic victory, whilst the Palestinian peoples right to self-determination is ultimately denied.

The risks of western leaders recognising a Palestinian state have been reported on, for example by Martin Jay, who argues that the move will further antagonise Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his administration, potentially leading to the accelerated destruction of Gaza and the annexation of parts of the West Bank, threatening the lives of the Palestinian people. Therefore, Starmer’s statement not only undermines the Palestinian peoples right to self-determination, but is also simultaneously enraging state officials of Israel.