US govt advisor urges Israel to ‘carpet bomb the Irish’

A top US government advisor has urged Israel to ‘carpet bomb’ and ‘napalm’ Irish peace-keeper troops who failed to comply with Israel’s demand to withdraw from positions in south Lebanon.

Matthew RJ Brodsky, who has advised the White House’s Palestinian-Israeli ‘peace team’ for both the Trump and Biden administrations, urged Israel to wipe out all of the 26 County Army soldiers taking part in the UN’s 46-year-old mission, UNIFIL.

Last week, Israeli tanks overran UN positions in the area as their year-long genocide of Muslims extended north into Lebanon. Tanks came within metres of the Irish soldiers, pointing their turrets directly at them. The perimeter of the Irish troops’ ‘6-52’ base was described as having been ‘swarmed’ by Israeli tanks (pictured).

An Israeli platoon began firing rounds at Hezbollah targets from there, using the UN troops as human shields for their operation, a point confirmed when Hezbollah said it would not fire back at that location due to the presence of the UN soldiers.

The Israeli tanks have now moved on, but not before Brodsky, in his now deleted post, called for a slaughter of the Irish.

He was responding to a diagram of the area and the extent of Israel’s colonial-style ‘evacuation orders’, apparently believing that the 300 Irish soldiers stationed there are obstructing Israel’s invasion of Lebanon.

Brodsky (pictured, inset), who claims extensive influence in US government circles and expertise in foreign policy, included a number of Lebanese villages in his outburst.

“Israel should carpet bomb the Irish area and then drop napalm over it,” he wrote.

ISRAELI ACTION ‘OUTRAGEOUS’

he plight of the Irish peacekeepers in Lebanon had been raised by Irish President Michael D Higgins, who described the threatening actions of the Israeli Army as” outrageous”.

“As Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces, but I am sure as are all Irish citizens, I am thinking of what an anxious time it is for them,” he said.

“It is outrageous that the Israel Defence Forces have threatened this peacekeeping force and sought to have them evacuate the villages they are defending.

“Indeed, Israel is demanding that the entire UNIFIL operating under UN mandates walk away.”

Speaking on Saturday, the President said te 26 County Army are “risking their lives, and their families are making this sacrifice”, on behalf of defenceless civilians in southern Lebanese villages.

“I am sure that the courage being displayed by our contingent and their colleagues has the thoughts and prayers of all those who value peace, at home and abroad.”

The mother of one Irish soldier urged Taoiseach Simon Harris to order the evacuation of the Irish troops.

“They are locked down and virtually powerless in the middle of a war zone,” she said.

“They (the Dublin government) don’t seem to have a plan. What are they going to do with our children? There are teenagers out at that outpost. Something needs to be done for them.”

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said the action of the Israeli forces to breach the so-called ‘Blue Line’ of UN positions was “unacceptable”.

Taoiseach Simon Harris described Brodsky’s comment as “entirely inappropriate and pretty despicable” but he refused to call for an end to US arms exports to Israel, or the continuing transport of its munitions over Ireland.

The coalition government in Dublin is also still opposing the implementation of the Occupied Territories Bill, intended to cut trade ties with Israeli goods and services produced in the illegal settlements of the occupied territories.

Despite holding a “very good” meeting with Mr Harris at the White House, neither President Joe Biden nor any administration official saw fit to comment on Brodsky’s remarks.

PROTESTS

Anger is growing in Ireland at our complicity with the US and Israel, and last weekend saw the biggest march of protest so far. Republican groups turned out with flags and banners expressing solidarity with Palestinians, Lebanese and other groups targeted by Israel, and linking the occupations of both Ireland and Palestine.

Protesters marched from the Garden of Remembrance to the Dublin parliament in a demonstration which was organised by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign and supported by more than 160 different groups.

Zak Hania, a Palestinian-Irish citizen who was trapped in Gaza for seven months and was reunited with his family in May, attended the march with his 12-year-old son.

He said: “To be honest, every time I come here and see the people who are doing all kind of solidarity with Palestine, it heals me. It’s part of my cure and my healing of what we have seen.”

Some celebrities will be joining activists in the major protest next weekend at Shannon Airport, which has been used as a staging post in the bombings. Buses are being organised across Ireland under the campaign ‘Descend on Shannon’ on Saturday 12th October at 1pm.

Organisers have described it as a “massive protest against the Irish government which insists in continuing to assist the US/Zionist entity genocide in Gaza.”

Artists who have indicated they will be present include Tadhg Hickey, Kneecap, And Lowkey.

One of the groups involved in the protest, ‘Irish healthcare workers for Palestine’, said Shannon Airport is being used to facilitate the murder of their healthcare worker colleagues with munitions transited through Ireland.

“We are appalled. We demand that the Irish government take action to halt Ireland’s complicity in war crimes and genocide,” they said.

“We amplify the plea of our colleague, Dr Suhaib Al-Hams, Director of Kuwaiti Hospital, Rafah, who called on us all to raise our voices ‘to stop the torrent of Palestinian blood.

“Join IHCW and many other Palestine solidarity groups for a peaceful demonstration to say #notinourname.”

Urgent Appeal