Description
Key words: Irish foreign policy; Palestine; constructivism; small states
The Republic of Ireland has been depicted as a partial outlier in the European Union in terms of its policy towards Palestine. This perspective highlights developments such as Ireland’s formal recognition of Palestinian statehood in May 2024, its intervention in support of South Africa’s genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice in January 2025, and the state’s continuing financial backing for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). While recent scholarship has highlighted continued aspects of conservatism in the Irish government’s position, the reasons for this policy and the arguments made in its support warrant closer examination. After reflecting on constructive approaches to IR and theories of small state behaviour, this paper analyses Oireachtas debates and statements to examine the ‘frames’ that Irish politicians have employed in relation to Palestine, and how they have articulated their stance.
