Sir, – The Taoiseach and Tánaiste have both condemned the decision by Israel’s parliament to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (Unrwa) from operating in the country and have called on the “international community” to stand against this (“UN expresses alarm as Palestinian aid agency Unrwa banned from operating in Israel”, World, October 29th).
These are strong and welcome words, but seem to ignore the broader international context in which this egregious move by Israel has happened.
The banning of Unrwa is a natural outcome of the persistent failure of the so-called “international community” to hold the rogue state of Israel to account. Indeed, the United States and EU continue to talk about Israel’s “right to self-defence” as if it were a normal state and not a violent occupying power engaged in the illegal collective punishment of a civilian population.
Israel, understandably, believes it can get away with ignoring international humanitarian law because in truth it can and has.
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Massacre follows massacre in Gaza and we see heart-rending images of terrified and injured children and families on our television screens every evening, and yet – unlike with Russia and Iran – no sanctions have been imposed on Israel. The contradictions and the hypocrisy are glaring. – Yours, etc,
FINTAN LANE,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.
