Sir, – I was rather surprised to see the Social Democrats in the Dáil calling for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador (“‘Words are not enough’ in face of ‘impending genocide’, Holly Cairns tells Dáil”, News, November 15th). I was equally puzzled when I read the report in The Irish Times of the reasons put forward by its leader, Holly Cairns, for such a call.
The arguments she outlined in the Dáil were so weak that in no circumstances could they be justification for an expulsion.
One must remember that expelling an ambassador is an end of the line situation between two states.
Israel has not done anything to subvert the security of this state, which, as an example, would merit an immediate expulsion.
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The Government, however, is right to voice its concerns and formally notify the ambassador about the disproportionate response adopted by her country to counter the Hamas terrorism.
What surely must have been known was that the Hamas army are secure in bunkers, in underground tunnels, fitted out with double doors that protect them from aerial bombardment.
The civilian population have no such protection; no safe place to go and must suffer whatever Israeli forces throw at them.
Even now, when some entrances to these tunnel networks have been found, no safe passage beyond is available to the Israeli soldiers.
They have admitted as much on video.
There remains also the thorny question of the hostages and their location.
The statement by Holly Cairns shows her immaturity in a difficult situation. Jumping on the bandwagon and calling for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador will not help anyone. Frankly, I expected better.
The initial assault is over, it is too late and nothing will bring those who died back; who died not even knowing the circumstances of their fate.
Serious questions will have to be put to the the Israeli state when a normalcy is restored.
Despite their faulty intelligence, Israel must have known that aerial bombardment of itself would not eliminate Hamas militants. They knew there was a tunnel network. A reactive assault on missile systems could be understood following their real horror at the festive killings. But prolonged bombardment is more a sign of ineptitude and weakness than anything else.
There is now an upside-down situation that is irreversible.
The Israeli prime minister, in his narcissistic pursuit of blurring the boundaries of the divisions of power in his own country, must in no uncertain terms be held accountable. – Yours, etc,
DAVID LYONS,
Dublin 8.
Sir, – The catastrophic situation in Gaza cannot be allowed to continue, as it has continued since 1948. The most recent Israeli attacks on Gaza have been totally disproportionate and have been in clear breach of international laws, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention on protection of civilians.
The international community has so far failed to vindicate the most basic right of the Palestinian people, the right not to be killed in huge numbers.
US vetoes at the UN Security Council in favour of Israel mean that the Security Council has continually failed to hold Israel to account or to work toward creating genuine peace in the Middle East.
The UN General Assembly must act now, as it is entitled and obliged to, by utilising its powers under a procedure known as the “uniting for peace resolution”.
This process has been used successfully in the past including in 1956 to establish UNEF 1 in the Sinai Desert when British and French vetoes prevented the UN Security Council from acting.
A substantial UN peacekeeping mission is needed immediately in Gaza to end the killing.
Israel must not be allowed to take physical control of or to annex Gaza, as it has done with substantial parts of the Syrian Golan Heights and the Palestinian West Bank.
The UN General Assembly must authorise a UN mission to fully take over the administration of Gaza. There are successful precedents for such UN administrations, including the UNTAES mission in East Slavonia in Croatia in 1996, and the UNTAET in East Timor in 1999 where the UN became the temporary government of these regions. – Yours, etc,
EDWARD HORGAN,
Castletroy,
Limerick.