Government TD calls for Expulsion of Israeli Ambassador : IPSC should do same.
national |
anti-war / imperialism |
news report 
Monday January 05, 2009 13:41
by *
Fianna Fail TD Chris Andrews in a letter to the Irish Times today, called for the Irish Government to expel the Israeli Ambassador from Ireland.
Fianna Fail TD Chris Andrews in a letter to the Irish Times today, has called on the Irish Government (of which he is a part) to expel the Israeli Ambassador from Ireland. http://www.irishtimes.com/letters/index.html#1230936654466
Mr. Andrews has visited Gaza in the recent past as part of a European Parliamentary delegation.
A report on this trip is available at the following link: http://www.chrisandrews.ie/content.php4?area=146&item=829
This call from a government supporter goes beyond the demands which have been issued to date during the Israeli attack on Gaza by the IPSC.
The demands which are being made by the IPSC during this attack on Gaza seem to be the following: "Given that Irish Foreign Minister Michael Martin has today again issued a strong statement of condemnation over the attacks, we once again urge the Irish Government to use its influence in Europe and the UN to push for stronger measures against Israel, measures such as the suspension of Israel from the Euro-Med Agreement, and international sanctions aimed at forcing Israel to respect international law. We also encourage people in Ireland and Civil Society to support the Palestinian call for an economic, cultural, sporting and academic boycott of Israel"
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/90354
In my opinion the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador from Ireland is something that could be a much more immediate rallying point for those in Ireland who feel strongly about the current events in Gaza.
Comments (20 of 20)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20At the IPSC demo on Saturday the two IPSC speakers called for a diplomatic boycott of Israel from the platfrom and to the media.
In the press release available here: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/90422 it states that IPSC Spokesperson Philip O'Connor said that: "[The IPSC calls] on the Irish people to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, and to bring about a total economic, cultural, sporting, academic and diplomatic boycott of the Israeli state until it complies with international law".
On the RTE news report, IPSC spokesperson Freda Hughes also called for the Irish Government to implement a "complete boycott of Israel [...] culturally, diplomatically and economically" Link: http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0103/6news_av.html?2469452,...l,230
I take your point but maybe a more blatant statement of the demand would be better. PPL may think of no visits to Israel by govt. etc when you talk about Diplomacy.
Giving the Ambassador marching orders is much more universally understandable.
Mr, Andrews is a cop out. He put the blame squarely on Hamas, yet, he says both sides must work together. At this stage I am worried about the situation for the innocent people of Gaza. They need our help.
I'm sure we all know. At one stage the IRA was the soul cause of the troubles in the north of Ireland. The Irish government and media as well as the British government and media demonized the IRA and put the blame squarely on them. Lets wake up and smell the beans. Hamas are a danger to Israel because of their ideology, no doubt about that. It is however, Israel who put them in this position. They once recruited fighters, now Hamas, who rejected the 'moderates' and the PLO. But I believe (judging by the body count) it is Israel that is the danger to, not only Palestine, but to a fragile middle east. This aggression will do nothing but fuel a new generation of young angry men to combat, as they perceive, a threat to Islam
The situation needs a measured view? If Mr. Andrews truly believes this he should take some of his own advice. Dont call Hamas a terrorist supporting group unless you are prepared to call Israel, Ireland (Shannon), America and Britain terrorist supporting countries too.
Lets boycott Israel and try to save lives.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L5277915.htm
Mauritania withdraws it's ambassador to Israel, perhaps the pipsqueaks in the Dail could manage that much ?
Get him out immediately, there is no place for him in our Country we believe in respecting International Laws,if he is allowed to remain here we will also be complicit in the mass Genocide of the Palastinians that is currently taking place by the Terrorist failed state of Is- Real. Dont let him hide behind the shield of the Holacaust this old sympathy trick has been played out, go home and go now.
Dont forget that the Israeli Prime minister is actually Irish- Olmert was born in Dublin
This should be used against him , and all the warcriminals in Dail Eireann.
Remove the Israeli ambassador from Ireland and send thewar parasites of Dail eireann to the new prison in Thornton Hall when it opens.
was actually born in Palestine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ehud_Olmert
I think you are confusing him with Chaim Herzog who was born in Belfast http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaim_Herzog
Expelling him would only be knee-jerk tokenism.
We probably don't need an Israeli embassy here, but the Irish embassy in Israel was a vital part of the UN peace-keeping effort in south Lebanon a few years ago.
Aid convoys to Gaza also need a word from our embassy over there. That's the reality.
Both the Israeli govt and Hamas are hard-hearted b*st*rds. We have embassies in all sorts of bad places.
Diplomatic pressure builds up on Israel.
Denmark calls in Israeli ambassador to explain actions of regime.
Venezuela expels Israeli ambassador and calls for Israeli President to be sent to Hague.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2008/12/20....html
Fair dues to Hugo.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=123116728415...wFull
"Ireland, according to foreign ministry officials, is currently one of the European countries most antagonistic to Israel, and a country where the hostility of the press is matched by the tone of the government.
An example of the toxic environment in Ireland is a letter published in the Irish Times on Monday by Irish politician Chris Andrews calling Israel's action state terrorism and calling for the expulsion of Israel's ambassador to Ireland."
Such a beautiful shining example of how in Israel, black is white and up is down.
Now Ireland is a toxic environment because a politician did his job and suggested that diplomatic relations with the terror state should be used to save lives in Gaza. Real toxic stuff that.
Israel has spent the last two weeks firing of munitions like firecrackers, ligthing up the sky with banned white phosphorous. They have Gazas sewage plant bleeding shit into the Mediteranean and into the ground water causing untold environmental damage. They caused massive oil slicks in the Med in 2006 when they dumped a few million tons of explosives on Lebanon. They deliberately polluted the southern parts of Lebanon with a million anti-Child cluster mines which continue to blow the limbs off Lebanon's kids today.Then they subsequently refused to stop using the cluster bombs even after practically the whole world joined the ban in 2008.
They have 200-400 radioactive nuclear devices in the Middle East and they currently have hundreds of helicopters and F16s ploughing up and down the coast 24 hours a day spewing out exhaust fumes, death and lighting up towns in flames and belching thick black smoke.
But an Irish politican suggested we take diplomatic action - so ergo " Ireland is toxic ".
If Andrews wanted to do something realy efective he could 'call on government' , to close shannon to the military who have used this civilian airport illegally with the support of the likes of Barry Andrews, to cary all the equiptment they need to kill Palistinians, Iraqis and Afghanis; Anything short of this only serves as a cover for Fianna Fail.
If he thought his demand would be effective he would never have said it. He probanly got the ok from biffo to spout and lend Fianna Fail the pretence that there is a little bit of humanity in that party.
SHUT SHANNON DOWN TO MILITARY ACTIVITIES- how about that from Andrews??
Former Labour Cabinet Minister Tony Benn said the Israeli Ambassador to the UK should be expelled.
He said: "We should be making a demand on the British Government because speaking for myself, and I am sure for you, I think the response of British Government has been an absolute disgrace.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/feedarticle/8218932
Venezuala has done it, perhaps more states are close to doing it, perhaps soon Ireland might do it.
How much more suffering and loss of life must happen untill it is deemed appropriate by the Irish state to expell the Israeli ambassador? 100 more, 1000 more, , those uncounted dying through hunger due to infrastructure destruction, all schools bombed ....???
When, where and how is a line agreed on when it becomes appropriate?? Has there been more pressure for this move from other Irish TD's, senators and politicians?
Many thousands of people will probably take to the streets of Ireland tommorrow to voice their anger and show their opposition to Israels crimes, but can they help in seeking the state to remove the ambassodor? Is this something which is being discussed and worked on, at present? If not, how best can things be organised to bring this about, and if it comes about where do people go from there?
Regards from Barcelona, where we too will take to the streets tomorrow...
The original link to the times was not fully correct, here is the link to the actual letter sent to the paper by
CHRIS ANDREWS TD:
Israeli offensive in Gaza, 2nd letter (Monday, January 5, 2009)
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/letters/2009/0105/1....html
in which he states:
To see a country which portrays itself as civilised descending to state terrorism is worrying in the extreme.To see that there is no willingness to stop this descent is even more worrying.
It is time for Ireland to take a principled stand on the Israel-Palestinian conflict and expel the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland.
responses over following days found here:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/letters/2009/0109/1....html (jan 9)
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/letters/2009/0107/1....html (jan 7)
Meanwhile, to back up his point, main news in the times today at 5pm, Irish Time:
Israel rejects truce call and vows to continue offensive
Israel said today it will not stop its offensive in the Gaza Strip despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire.
Prime minister Ehud Olmert's office said in a statement the military “will continue acting to protect Israeli citizens and will carry out the missions it was given.” The statement said Palestinian rocket fire today showed the Security Council’s call for a ceasefire “is not practical.”
The ISPC sample letter to politicians should indeed include the expulsion call, as suggested here and elsewhere on other IMC-IE thread and emailed to them for consideration...
What reasons to they issue for holding off the inclusion of this request?
* I call on the Irish government to request the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to Ireland, Dr Zion Evrony, and the full closure of the Israeli embassy untill a full cesesation of hostilities is recognised.
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/90404&comment_limit=0&c...42325
Interestingly Chris Andrews website does not make the explicit call for the expulsion on his website. His latest press release is dated 6th of January, (previous 11th december) the day after his letter to the Times, where you would expect the call to be repeated. Did some other Fianna Fail heads ask him not to include it, or what other reason can be given???
Chris Andrews TD calls for immediate action on Gaza conflict
Chris Andrews Fianna Fianna Dublin South East TD who recently travelled on the boat Dignity to the Gaza Strip has said that Israel must be told, in no uncertain terms, that their attacks are “unacceptable, beyond all reasonable self-defence efforts and barbaric – on any scale.”
http://www.chrisandrews.ie/content.php4?area=126
Perhaps this will change and Mr Adrews will encourage more politicians to support the call for the expulsion.
Jordan recalls it's ambassador to Israel in protest of Gaza op.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3653588,00.html
I recieved a resonse email from Chris Andrews, he has now included on his site, the explicit call for expulsion. See "press" section:
Andrews calls for expulsion of Israeli Ambassador to Ireland (12th January 2009)
Ireland must press for emergency medical aid to be allowed through to Gaza to those who are in desperate need of it. Ireland must take a leading role in ensuring that medical aid which is clearly needed is allowed through. Having seen, first hand, the desperate state of the Gazas hospitals just five weeks ago I can only imagine how unbearable the situation must be now.
It is clear that the European Union’s self-imposed ban on talking to Hamas is forcing ordinary Palestinians into the hands of extremists and Israels recent assaults will reinforce this trend.
Changes to political,diplomatic and economic relations between Israel/Ireland and the European Union are now urgently required
The Irish government has an unacceptable record of turning a blind eye to human rights abuses. It is common knowledge that Shannon was used as a stopover for CIA aircraft incolved in the 'extaordinary rendition of prisoner. Our government ignored calls for inspection procedures to be put in place. Both the European Commisioner and UN High Commisioner of Human for Human Rights stated that Irelands acceptance of diplomatic assurances was not enough.
Once again we are in a position where the Irish government is unwilling to act when faced with a humanitarian crisis. Calls for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador are well justifed.
History teaches that real change comes from the people. With that in mind a petition has been started to close the Israeli embassy and expel the ambassador. To sign up, please visit www.gopetition.com/online/24490.html
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