All-Party Condemnation of Israeli Actions.

national | anti-war / imperialism | press release Friday July 07, 2006 11:31 by David L - IPSC

Amnesty Slams ‘Israeli War Crimes’

Speaking at a press conference hosted by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), elected representatives from Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour condemned Israel’s escalation of the crisis in Palestine, including their jailing of Palestinian elected representatives. They commended the IPSC demonstration this Saturday, 8th July at 2pm at the Central Bank in Dublin as a way of highlighting the humanitarian crisis Palestinians face. Aoife Daly from Amnesty International warned of ‘Gaza verging on a humanitarian catastrophe.’

First to speak was Michael D. Higgins TD, Labour party spokesperson for Foreign Affairs. Calling for a strong turnout for the IPSC demonstration on Saturday, he condemned Israel’s actions as being completely outside the frame of international law. EU actions also – particularly their sanctions on Palestine – had proven to be ‘a flagrant denial of international law, humanitarian law, and the Geneva Convention’

Michael Mulcahy TD, Fianna Fail paid tribute to the IPSC for putting the spotlight on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and condemned Israel’s ‘totally disproportionate’ actions, as well as the international community’s inactivity. He called for the release of all kidnap victims from both sides – including the Palestinian parliamentarians captured by Israel earlier this week.

Bernard Allen TD, Fine Gael spokesperson for Foreign Affairs spoke of the ‘utter devastation and basic poverty’ which he saw in Palestine, and which is a clear violation of international law. He also criticized the EU sanctions as being a refusal to recognise the democratically expressed will of the Palestinian people. He called for the Irish government to cease taking such a passive foreign policy stance on this issue.

Aodhán Ó Riordáin, Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin said he wanted to show the solidarity that the people of Dublin have with people around the world such as the Palestinians who are suffering oppression and injustice. As a speaker on the demonstration on Saturday, he felt that many Dubliners will turn up to show their solidarity with Palestinians.

Finally, Aoife Daly, Honorary Secretary, Amnesty Ireland attacked ‘Israeli war crimes in Gaza’. She pointed out that ‘Gaza is verging on a humanitarian catastrophe and it is very clear that this targeting of the civilian infrastructure of Gaza is a deliberate collective punishment of ordinary Palestinian people. What Israel is doing is a war crime.’