Donegal IPSC call on government to act on promises to Palestine during election

Donegal Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign have called on Minister Charlie McConalogue TD, calling on him to use his position to ensure that the government takes urgent action to make good their promises during the election.

As part of a national campaign, the group handed the letter to the Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport on Friday, May 2. They want the government to immediately enact the Occupied Territories Bill and to make urgent progress on the Arms Embargo Bill.

They also want the government to remove their intention of using the IHRA definition of antisemitism from the programme for government, as it will be used to make any criticism of Israel a crime.

The letter reads in full:

“Dear Minister McConalogue,

“We would like to congratulate you on your recent election to the Dáil and your appointment as a Minister of State, with the honour and responsibility of representing the people of Donegal.

“We acknowledge that both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste have publicly stated Ireland’s position as being committed to upholding humanitarian and international law in relation to Israel. We recognise the government's decision to join the South African genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. We further note Ireland’s recognition of the State of Palestine.

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“In light of these decisions, we have a number of concerns we ask you to bring to the attention of your government colleagues, most especially the Taoiseach and Tanaiste.

“We speak on behalf of the many thousands of people in Donegal who have protested against the apartheid regime in Israel, its genocidal policy in Gaza over the last 17 months, and the increasing state and colonial settler violence and repression of the Palestinian population in the West Bank.

“Many people in Donegal have organised and attended regular vigils, demonstrations and other events expressing their horror and outrage at these war crimes and crimes against humanity. The people of Donegal have stood in solidarity with the Palestinians and their right to seek justice and live in peace, free of occupation and apartheid. We have consistently demanded that Israel be held accountable for its war crimes, crimes against humanity and what appears to be a ‘textbook case of genocide,’ in the words of genocide scholar Raz Segal.

“Before the general election, the outgoing government committed to passing the Occupied Territories Bill (OTB) as a priority if re-elected. Now, to our dismay, it appears that there are attempts to delay and weaken, even undermine, the Bill.

“As Roderic O'Gorman, a previous member of government who was privy to the discussions held on the OTB at the time said (Irish Times February 5) ‘a myth is being peddled by the Government’ that it has to ‘start from scratch’ with the Occupied Territories Bill because it wants to ‘avoid taking action.’

“The incoming government now appears to be backtracking on its commitment through delay and obfuscation. This is unacceptable. We demand that you hold true to your pre-election commitment and enact the too-long-delayed Occupied Territories Bill in full and without delay.

“As a neutral country, Ireland has an obligation to ensure that aircraft passing through its airspace or indeed landing at Irish airports are not transporting armaments or personnel to aid Israel in its criminal actions. We are heartened that the Seanad have passed the first and second stages of the Arms Embargo Bill and ask that you use your position as a Minister of State to support the Bill and ensure its swift passage through the Oireachtas.

“We are deeply disturbed that the programme for government has committed to give effect to the International Holocaust Memorial Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. The adoption of this deeply flawed definition has been roundly criticised by leading scholars of anti-semitism, human rights groups, including multiple Jewish organisations, and even its author, Kenneth Stern, who has commented on its weaponising by pro-Israeli supporters to silence criticism and dissent. The Jerusalem Declaration on Anti-Semitism has been proposed by scholars and experts on anti-semitism as an alternative.

“We ask that you express our concerns in relation to this to the government and that you support its removal from the programme for government. Minister, thank you for taking the time to read our letter. We look forward to your reply, in hopeful anticipation of action to address our expressed concerns.”