Sir, – The signatories to the letter of June 14th express disappointment at the lack of full Government support for the Irish BDS (boycott, divestment and sanction) movement.
They cite the “occupation and settler-colonialism” of the Israeli state as reason enough for total support of their position. Sadly, this lofty idealism will come too late for the indigenous peoples of America and Australia, where many of the signatories ply their trade, to audiences mainly made up of the descendants of conquering Irish “settlers”.
As a footnote, in contrast to the white populations in America and Australia, Jewish people have always lived in Palestine. – Yours, etc,
EUGENE TANNAM,
Firhouse, Dublin 24.
Sir, – The letter by some of Ireland’s best-known figures in music, arts and sport outlining their support for boycott, divestment and sanction of Israel is very welcome.
On a recent visit to Bethlehem we regularly observed Israeli soldiers firing tear gas and live and rubber-coated steel bullets at young boys throwing stones at 8m-high walls, saw people humiliated daily, queuing at checkpoints to get in or out of their own capital city, Jerusalem. While staying with friends in Aida refugee camp, we experienced choking tear gas and were horrified at its daily deployment.
Palestinians want the international community to stand in solidarity with them by advocating for and implementing BDS, and I am very proud of these leading Irish figures for doing so. – Yours, etc,
ORLA O’NEILL,
Kilcullen,
Co Kildare.