Ireland approves first Palestine ambassador after recognising Palestinian state

Ireland accepted the appointment of a full Palestinian ambassador for the first time on Tuesday, after Dublin formally recognised a Palestinian state earlier this year.

Senior ministers confirmed that Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid would step up from her current position as Palestinian Head of Mission to Ireland.

Back in May, Dublin had announced its recognition of Palestine as “a sovereign and independent state” comprising the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and agreed to establish full diplomatic relations.

Spain and Norway made the same declaration on the same day as Ireland, with Slovenia following a week later, prompting retaliatory measures from Israel.

These countries have been vocal in their criticism of Israel’s response to the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, which ignited the latest wave of violence in the region.

Formal diplomatic relations between Ireland and the State of Palestine were established in September.