Planning underway for Palestinian president to visit Ireland and address Oireachtas 

Ceann Comhairle Séan Ó Fearghaíl has made contact with the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland to explore the possibility of having Mahmoud Abbas speak in the Dáil after Ireland's formal recognition of Palestine earlier this year.

Planning is underway to have the Palestinian president visit Ireland to deliver an historic address to members of the Oireachtas.

Ceann Comhairle Séan Ó Fearghaíl has made contact with the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland to explore the possibility of having Mahmoud Abbas speak in the Dáil after Ireland's formal recognition of Palestine earlier this year.

A visit by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is also on the cards in the coming months with a formal invite being sent out this week.

At a meeting of the Business Committee last week it was decided to ask Mr Abbas to address politicians in Leinster House, however, Mr Ó Fearghaíl has strongly ruled out extending a similar initiation to Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

I wouldn't contemplate for a minute inviting that man anywhere to anything. I think he's a leading part of an enormous, murderous campaign which revolts the Irish people, revolts us here in Leinster House.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, Mr Ó Feargháil has raised concerns around antisemitism and growing fear among the Jewish community in Ireland.

"You can oppose the Israeli government, but love the Israeli people. I think that is the key message," he said.

"The Jewish people in Ireland have contributed enormously to this country through business, politics, the arts, they've done it through the generations, they're continuing to do it now. They are much loved of the Irish people, but they are afraid now because of the on-street protests. They are afraid that they will in some way or other be associated with the war and what is happening in Gaza."

He added that "it behooves us all" make it clear to the Jewish community that they are "heartily welcome, that they are not blamed in any way and while Irish people are opposed to the war that does not make us antisemites."

Mr Ó Feargháil warned that that the ongoing bombardment of Gaza by Israel will only fuel radicalization of another generation.

"My wife and I look at her TV in the evening, we watch 9pm news if I'm there, and to see those beautiful little brown-eyed children in Palestine, sitting crying beside the corpses of their brothers, their sisters, their mothers or their fathers; you think about what will those children be like in five years time if peace is not drawn out of this appalling circumstance?

We won't have to worry about the radicalisation of those children because they will have been radicalised beyond understanding by virtue of the appalling nature of their experiences.

Regarding the Ukrainian leader Mr Ó Feargháil said he met with a delegation from Kiev last week during which he suggested another remote address but was told that President Zelensky actually wanted to visit Ireland.

"I put a proposal to the Business Committee last Thursday that President Zelensky be invited to provide the address to the joint Houses. So that invitation is winging its way to Volodymyr Zelensky," he said.