IPSC on Gaza attacks: Ireland can and should act

national | miscellaneous | news report Monday January 27, 2003 00:51 by Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign supportpalestine at ireland dot com 01-6770253

The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, in a press statement today, said that the weekend attacks on Gaza which killed 14 Palestinians are a warning of the danger of increased Israeli attacks on Palestinian targets while the world's attention is in Iraq. The Campaign said that Ireland has a role to play. Rather than facilitating US preparations for a war on Iraq, we should be telling the US to exert itself for peace in Palestine. Tugann Feachtas na hÉireann don Dlúthpháirtíocht leis an Phalaistín rabhadh de bhaol foréigin bhreise sa Phalaistín agus an domhan ag tabhairt a airde ar an Iaráic, agus iarrann sé ar Rialtas na hÉireann brú a chur ar na Stáit Aontaithe.

(Full English text below)

Bhagair Aire Cosanta Iosraela, Shaul Mofaz inniu (Dé Domhnaigh) agus é ag labhairt ar Raidió Iosraela, go bhféadfadh Iosrael Stráice Ghaza go hiomlán a fhorghabháil arís. Maraódh 12 Palaistíneach agus gortaíodh 67 in ionsaí Iostraelach ar chathair Ghaza inné. Tráthnóna inniu maraíodh buachaill 6 bliana d’aois agus gortaíodh a dhearthair óg agus iad ag imirt peile gar do láthair mhíleata Iosraelach. D’fhéadfadh go dtarlódh i bhfad níos mó ná sin má chomhlíonann Mofaz a bhagairt.

Is treoir iad na hionsaithe sin agus ráiteas sin Mofaz den bhaol go dtapóidh rialtas Iosraela an deis, agus aird an domhain ar an Iaráic, chun an foréigean i gcoinne na bPalaistíneach a ghéarú athuair. Leiríonn an dá bhliain seo chuaigh thart gurb é toradh gach géaraithe mar sin – mar shampla an chéad uair a úsáideadh eitleáin F16 in ionsaithe i gcoinne na bPalaistíneach nó an chéad uair a feallmaraíodh mílitigh Phalaistíneacha nó an chéad uair a chuir arm Iosraela smacht ar chathracha Palaistíneacha arís – ráitis gan éifeacht ó stáit an domhain gan aon ghníomh éifeachtach.

Dúirt urlabhra de chuid an FDÉP: “Tá ról ag Éirinn sa chás seo. Is leir go bhfuil rialtas na Stát Aontaithe sásta an t-uafás airgid a chaitheamh agus saoil na nIaráiceach a chur i mbaol i gcogadh ar an Iaráic. Ach d’fhéadfadh sé deireadh a chur leis na hionsaithe ar shibhialaigh Phalaistíneacha gan fiú is urchar amháin a chaitheamh. Seachas bheith ag cuidiú le hullmhúcháin na Stát Aontaithe don chogadh, ba chóir do Rialtas na hÉireann impí orthu iarracht a dhéanamh ar maithe leis an tsíocháin sa Phalaistín.”

Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz speaking on Israel Radio today (Sunday) threatened that Israel could reoccupy the entire Gaza Strip. A massive Israeli attack on Gaza City yesterday left 12 Palestinians dead and 67 injured. In another attack this afternoon, a 6-year old Palestinian boy was shot dead and his younger brother was reported to be critically injured while playing football near an Israeli military installation. These are only a foretaste of what could happen if Mofaz carries out his threat.

The latest attacks, and Mofaz’s statement, underline the danger that while the world’s attention is focused on Iraq, the Israeli government will seize the opportunity to further escalate the ongoing violence against the Palestinians and the destruction of property and civil infrastructure. The experience of the last two years shows us that each such escalation, for example the first use of F16 jets to attack Palestinian targets, the first targeted assassinations of Palestinians, and the first reoccupations of entire Palestinian cities, has been met with empty condemnation but no real sanctions from the international community.

A spokesperson for the IPSC said: “Ireland has a part to play here. The United States appears willing to spend vast sums of money and risk many Iraqi lives in a war on Iraq. Yet it could bring an end to the onslaught against Palestinian civilians without firing a shot. The Irish Government, rather than facilitating American preparations for war in Iraq, should be telling the United States to exert itself for peace in Palestine.”