Ireland Law Maker's speech in parlament is very powerful Re: Israel & Palestine

[mysteryowl]

Last edited Thu Nov 2, 2023, 10:52 AM - Edit history (2)

This speech is so clear to me. He says it all.

Irish support for Palestinian rights stems partly from its own experience of colonialism and violence – but that’s not all writes Una Mullally a columnist for the Irish Times.

In 1980, Ireland was the first member of the European Union to endorse the establishment of a Palestinian state.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/02/ireland-criticism-israel-eu-palestinian-rights

[CincyDem]

1. There is so much to unpack in those 5 minutes it's hard to know where to start.

What he glosses over is that Hamas has the ability to stop the bombardment virtually immediately...simply return the hostages (or their bodies) immediately. Take all the fire out from under this boiling pot. Until then, a cease fire is effectively a reward to Hamas for their terrorist strategy.

I wish the Palestinians had as much energy for the establishment of a Palestinian State as the Irish do. Good that Ireland was first but 22 years later, there was a viable 2 state solution on the table. Palestinians (in the voice of Arafat) rejected an offer that included 97% of their territorial demands, conservatorship over the remaining 3% and billions of dollars of restitution...BUT...they would have had to accept Israel's right to exist.

I appreciate the Irish view of their colonial past but I don't recall them ever having the elimination of England as their guiding, unwavering principle. It seems like their success in breaking that colonial tie was based on a "you do your thing, let us do our thing" compromise with England.

Very different from the PLO (and now Hamas) with Israel.

[mysteryowl]

2. Powerful speech. Maybe Ireland can help with a peaceful resolution from their own background.

Mediators will be needed.

[CincyDem]

3. Maybe. But it's hard to say how this cools with hostages in play. n/t

[mysteryowl]

4. Hostages and buildings in rubble, death, injured, starving...

would all be part of the negotiations.

I think Ireland has some sound experience to bring to the table.

All this horrific war shit needs to stop! Any nation that can help would be awesome.

[CincyDem]

5. I guess we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

Jews stood by in 1940 Germany confident that friends and allies would help protect them. Instead they learned that when the going gets tough (i.e. cattle cars, camps, and gas chambers) their "friends" were nowhere to be found. One has to wonder if Japan hadn't attacked Pearl Harbor would Roosevelt ever had the spine to intervene in what inarguably can be called. through the lens of factual history, a genocide. Thank god Eisenhower said "photograph everything", knowing the world would deny the atrocities without proof.

The last time Hamas took a hostage, he was held for 5 years. The world's reaction...we'll you know...the IDF isn't perfect so good luck with that negotiation. The expectation that any other nation can/will help Israel except Israel is a fantasy I wish were true but know it's not.

All this horrific war shit doesn't need to stop...it needs to not start...and for that, I look to the organization (the pseudo-government) of Gaza to disavow they core philosophy to kill all Jews globally. Until then, I don't advocate Israel hoping it's fair weather friends will come to their defense.

[mysteryowl]

6. I don't see any disagreement here.

It is not necessary to disagree.

[CincyDem]

8. Tres cool. And pardon my misunderstanding. Thanks for clarifying. :-) n/t

[mysteryowl]

9. Plus, at 3:50 in the clip, he calls for a release of hostages.

[malaise]

7. Nailed it

Rec

[mysteryowl]

10. Yeah, he sure did.

[Nanjeanne]

11. Ireland has been fabulous and clear during this horrific crisis.

Maybe their own history with the IRA and the devastation in their own country and the success with their own ceasefire/violence/ceasefire/negotiations/failures/negotiations . . . have given them insight into what this kind of continuous warfare can do.

Remember:
In August 1994 the IRA declared a “complete cessation of all military activities,” and in October a similar cease-fire was declared by loyalist paramilitary groups fighting to preserve Northern Ireland’s union with Britain. However, Sinn Féin continued to be excluded from the talks because of unionist demands for IRA disarmament as a condition of Sinn Féin’s participation. The IRA’s cease-fire ended in February 1996, when a bomb in London killed two people. It was reinstated in July of the following year. Having agreed that decommissioning would occur as part of the resolution of Northern Ireland’s sectarian conflict, the IRA’s political representatives swore to uphold principles of nonviolence and were included in the multiparty talks beginning in September 1997.

In April 1998 the participants in the talks approved the Good Friday Agreement (Belfast Agreement), which linked a new power-sharing government in Northern Ireland with IRA decommissioning and other steps aimed at normalizing cross-community relations. Although the IRA subsequently destroyed some of its weapons, it resisted decommissioning its entire armoury, hampering implementation of key parts of the peace agreement. Then on July 28, 2005, the IRA announced that it had ended its armed campaign and instead would pursue only peaceful means to achieve its objectives.

Ireland's words are important.

[mysteryowl]

12. Wow, you sure are knowledgeable about Irish politics.

Thanks for your post and information. I learned a lot!
I then looked up more to read. Thanks!

[Nanjeanne]

13. I'm not but I love researching and reading. I've been to Ireland 4 times and I filled in my knowledge

with looking at Brittanica Encyclopedia and PBS and the Office of Justice Programs and I lived through those horrific times safely here. But I wanted so badly to understand. I am Jewish but I’ve always lamenting the terrible things we do to one another in the name of religion.

There is so much information out there. Not opinion. Not sound bites. But real information that one can think about and draw own opinions from. We live in a tweet world and that’s sad.