Press Release

national | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Monday August 10, 2009 08:32 by IFPAL - Irish Friends of Palestine Against Lisbon

The IFPAL (Irish Friends of Palestine Against Lisbon) campaign made waves in Dublin city centre on Saturday morning with the launch of a campaign raft on the river Liffey. Anchored just down stream from the famous ha’penny bridge it blares out the campaign message “EU policy facilitates Israeli genocide. No to Lisbon”

IFPAL believe that Israel could never have contemplated launching its genocidal assault on the imprisoned and besieged residents of Gaza in January if it didn’t have the tacit approval of the EU. But safe in the knowledge that the EU would not impose any sanctions or seek reparations for the deaths, injuries and destruction wrought, Israel slaughtered, terrorised and traumatised defenceless civilians for 22 consecutive days and nights.

Israel was right to believe that the EU would take no action. Despite the macabre slaughterhouse scenes witnessed daily on satellite TV from the blood-drenched hospitals in Gaza, EU foreign ministers took no action to rein in Israel. The pre-election orgy of slaughter almost paid off for Israel’s then governing party, Kadima, which saw its poll numbers climb as Israelis picnicked on the hills surrounding Gaza to watch their military pound Gaza with Flechette nail bombs and White Phosphorous.

This is the reality of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), a policy which clearly runs counter to the shared values political leaders at home and in Europe claim the EU is guided by: human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and respect for human rights.

Minster for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin has repeatedly refused to call for suspension of the EU– Israel Trade Agreement which affords Israel lucrative concessions on its exports to the EU – its most important trading partner. Even as Israel was pounding Gaza the Irish government continued to promote economic and diplomatic relations with the rogue state. The government did so because it is bound by the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and can no longer espouse an independent policy unless it is prepared to deploy our existing veto.

The Lisbon Treaty will make the situation much worse as it will allow the EU Council to change the manner in which CFSP is decided from unanimity to qualified majority vote, thus removing Ireland’s veto. This will give de-facto total control of CFSP to the larger countries, Britain, Germany, France and Italy – countries where a well-funded Zionist lobby ensures that EU foreign policy continues to aid and shelter Israel regardless of its crimes against humanity.

IFPAL believe that it would be folly in the extreme for the Irish electorate to enter into such a flawed system of governance - a United States of Europe (USE) in which Ireland’s voice will be silenced and an unelected President and Foreign Minister will represent us in the UN and other international fora.

IFPAL call on the Irish voters to reject a USE and vote No to Lisbon.