Gaza crisis raised in Dáil by Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams

» John Hedges

An Phoblacht Editor

'The Palestinian people have been robbed of their land, imprisoned by separation walls and borders into ghettoes, and have little power or influence.'

THE Irish Government has been asked in the Dáil by Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams TD to raise the issue of the ongoing violence in Gaza and Israel at this week’s EU summit as an urgent matter.

The Sinn Féin leader (right) called on the international community to act in a decisive way now before the situation deteriorates further.

He said the Irish Government should also use its influence in the EU and its new membership of the UN Human Rights Council to raise the current hostilities, the denial of sovereign rights and human rights to the Palestinian people and the six-year illegal blockade of Gaza by Israel.

“The Palestinian people have been robbed of their land, imprisoned by separation walls and borders into ghettoes, and have little power or influence.”

He described the Gaza Strip as a Third World region, poor, under economic siege for six years and with most of its citizens living in poverty and relying on international aid. “Israel, by comparison, is a First World, highly-developed, rich and heavily-armed super-state with nuclear weapons.”

Gerry Adams told members of the Irish Parliament:

“I believe there needs to be an immediate end of armed actions by all of the combatant groups. The rocket attacks on Israel should stop and the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip should end immediately. But in the meantime there is an onus on the international community, especially the EU, to act in a decisive way now before the situation deteriorates further.”

The Irish republican leader said that one of the main lessons from the Irish Peace Process is clear:

“Refusing to engage in dialogue; demonising opponents; treating them as non-citizens; stripping them of their rights and entitlements, of their self-esteem and integrity as human beings; engaging in censorship and vilification, makes war inevitable and peace harder to achieve.  

“A real peace process must be inclusive, based on dialogue and equality, and all sides must respect the right of citizens to elect or select their representatives.”