Micheál Martin defends decision not to summon Israeli ambassador over war on Gaza
Tánaiste Micheaál Martin said he had already communicated directly with the Israeli government and Israeli minister Eli Cohen on Ireland’s position on the war.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin has defended the decision not to summon the Israeli ambassador to his department over the continued bombardment and killings in Gaza.
Mr Martin also hit back at Dana Elrich and said Ireland’s position was not one-sided like the ambassador stated.
It comes after the Russian ambassador to Ireland, Yuri Filatov, was summoned to the Department of Foreign Affairs over the killing of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny by the Russian state.
However, when asked why Mr Martin’s department has yet to summon Ms Erlich over the continued killing of civilians in Gaza and the threat of a ground offensive in Rafah, Mr Martin said he had already communicated directly with the Israeli government and Israeli minister Eli Cohen on Ireland’s position on the war.
Mr Martin said: “I have communicated directly to the Israeli government and we’ve communicated directly from government to government our position in respect of the war on Gaza and the need for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the need for unimpeded access of humanitarian aid and support.
“And we will continue to do that and we have also communicated with the Israeli ambassador,” Mr Martin said.
It comes as Ms Elrich accused Irish people of having a one-sided view of the Middle East conflict, portraying Israel "as the only villain".
In an interview with Newstalk, she said: "If I look at the way this story, this war is conveyed here in Ireland, I hear a very one-sided view, portraying Israel as the only villain and not showing any responsibility of Hamas.
"We need to protect ourselves from them, we need the international community to call them out, to condemn them.
"I ask the Irish people listening right now when you criticise Israel, just raise more questions about the actions of Hamas," she said.
She also denied Israel's response was disproportionate, insisting her country's operations are "in compliance with international law and humanitarian law".
Reacting to her comments, the Tánaiste said the Irish Government had been “very clear” in terms of its condemnation of Hamas itself as an organisation and the attack on October 7.
He said: “We’ve called on Hamas to lay down its arms and the vast majority of the Irish people support that position.
“It’s not fair to say there is a one-sided position.
“100,000 people are either dead, injured or maimed and that is shocking.
“17,000 children unaccompanied in Gaza now and that is horrific, that is what motivates the Irish people.
“We want an immediate humanitarian ceasefire on the basis. Gaza has been levelled. The humanitarian situation is catastrophic,” Mr Martin said.
When asked what his department said to the Russian ambassador about the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Mr Martin said the treatment and killing of Mr Navalny was condemned.
He said it was communicated to Mr Filatov that Russia needed to pull back and withdraw out of Ukraine because of the “misery inflicted” on so many Ukrainians and described the war there as “shocking”.
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