‘Strong words’ belie coalition’s failure on genocide

The Dublin government has finally acknowledged that Israel is pursuing a strategy of killing of children and other civilians in Gaza, but has fallen short of backing action to end it.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin condemned a recent Israeli attack on a school which resulted in the murder of about a hundred innocent civilians, the latest in a series of Israeli attacks on schools which are being used as shelters by the displaced.

In one of his strongest condemnations of Israel since it invaded Gaza last October, Mr Martin accepted the targeting by Israel of places relied upon for shelter by civilians, including children, seemed to be a deliberate strategy.

“The slaughter has to stop. It seems to me that Israel is premeditatedly facilitating and planning the killing of civilians and children,” he said.

“They say they are targeting Hamas but they must know that within these attacks, huge numbers of civilians have been killed.”

It was the fourth such attack by Israel on school-based shelters in Gaza in the last month. Israel’s claim that Hamas militants are based in the schools have been widely dismissed internationally as a lie to justify the continued genocide.

It has been a slow learning curve for Martin, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, since he took part in an Israeli propaganda video last year.

Speaking on Sunday, he spoke urgently of the need for action, but failed to identify any.

“It is appalling what is happening. There is a major emergency from the perspective of nutrition, food, and disease as well, on top of the killing of innocents. It simply has to stop,” he said.

“The danger of a wider escalation is there all the time, given what has happened in terms of recent killings. We appeal for de-escalation. There’s a need for people to step back from what’s happening at the moment.”

Taoiseach Simon Harris has said there is growing evidence of a “prolonged humanitarian catastrophe” as the official death toll approaches 40,000 deaths and called for a “review” of EU policy on Israel.

“Too many innocent lives have been lost in 10 months,” Mr Harris added. “The world is standing at the precipice of a horrific moment, and yet all levers to bring an end to the violence are not being used.

“I again call for an urgent review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The agreement contains human rights clauses, and I do not believe it is conscionable for the EU to continue to render them redundant.”

President of Ireland Michael D Higgins said that the latest bombings “will be condemned by all those seeking to find peace in what is a continuing horrific violation of human rights”.

He said there is “no room anymore for anyone to avert their gaze” from Gaza.

He pointed to an EU admission that there is no justification for the massacres which have taken place following the targeting of at least 10 schools in recent weeks, and said this “must be taken with the utmost seriousness by all Member States”.

“Practical measures of a diplomatic kind are now urgently needed to ensure there is no further extension of the loss of life and total devastation of infrastructure in the region.

“There is no room anymore for anyone to avert their gaze. The outrageous level of killing must end with an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and the immediate provision of all necessary aid.”

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Matt Carthy TD, has said that the Dublin government must now take action.

He said that the recent “strong words” by the Taoiseach and Tánaiste must be matched by ensuring that Israel pays an economic price for the war crimes it continues to commit.

“The fact remains that Israel enjoys one of the most preferential trading, economic and diplomatic relationships with Ireland and the EU, even as it commits a genocide against the Palestinian people,” he said.

“The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have limited potential sanction against Israel to the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, despite knowing that support for this at European level is not forthcoming.

“In fact, the prospects of suspending the Association Agreement were greatly diminished when the Irish government endorsed the reappointment of Ursula Von der Leyen as Commission President.

“So, while of course Ireland must continue to press for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, the government must also take unilateral steps to make it clear to the world that we will have no connection with a state that is murdering children in a targeted and systematic manner.”

Urgent Appeal