The Israeli ambassador to Ireland was last night criticised by the Lord Mayor of Dublin for failing to respond to a request for a meeting to discuss the events in Lebanon.
Speaking at the opening of a photographic exhibition based on the rebuilding of Beirut over the past decade, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Vincent Jackson, said he had contacted the Israeli embassy last week and had received no response to councillors' efforts to arrange a "robust discussion". He described events in Beirut and Lebanon as "probably one of the greatest scandals of this new millennium".
The preview of the exhibition by the Irish Lebanese Cultural Foundation in Dublin Castle last night was attended by TDs, members of the Defence Forces and Garda Síochána and by the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin.
The exhibition, "Lebanon Rebuilt - 10 Years of Achievement", was originally organised to promote Lebanon as a tourist destination for Irish people but was now an "exhibition of resilience", according to Guy Jones, of the Irish Lebanese Cultural Foundation.
"We wanted to show that, no matter how hard they hit us, we will not be knocked down. Yes, it will be difficult to rebuild again, but that is what we will do," Mr Jones said.
The photographs featured in the exhibition, which was originally held in conjunction with the Tipperary International Peace Award in April, are of downtown Beirut. "These photos show the meeting point for Muslims, Christians, Jews, Sunnis and Shias. This is where they meet. If this were to be destroyed, then they destroy the heart of Beirut," Mr Jones said.
Labour's spokesman on foreign affairs, Michael D. Higgins, described the destruction of infrastructure as an "outrage" and a matter of "grave concern" as it was outside the parameters of international law.
Fianna Fáil's Michael Smith said that Ireland and Lebanon were similar in that both had faced the challenges of rebuilding their countries - not just physically, but also in the hearts and minds of individuals.
People attending the exhibition, which continues until August 10th, will be invited to make entries in a book which will be forwarded to the Government and circulated throughout the EU.