McDonald says Israeli ambassador 'should no longer enjoy diplomatic status'

Ms McDonald said that ambassador Dana Erlich's position had become 'untenable'

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald. File Picture

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said that the Israeli ambassador to Ireland "should no longer enjoy diplomatic status in Ireland" while Israel  refuses to heed calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Ms McDonald also said that ambassador Dana Erlich's position had become "untenable".

In a statement, the Sinn Féin president said she agreed with comments from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that the ongoing Israeli bombardment of Gaza did not constitute self-defence.

More than 9,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7, when Hamas militants launched rockets, killed 1,400 Israeli citizens and took around 200 hostages.

As Israel retaliated with a military operation, aid agencies are now battling a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with supplies of fuel, water, medicine and food running low.

Speaking in the South Korean capital of Seoul on Friday, Mr Varadkar said that Israel's actions "resembles something more approaching revenge".

"They [the Israel Defence Forces] are engaged in a ferocious military offensive against a civilian population; breaking international law by targeting civilians, destroying civilian infrastructure, forcing mass population displacement and cutting off vital supplies of water, food, medicines and fuel," Ms McDonald said.

"The sheer scale of this belligerence, collective punishment and the devastating loss of life is horrifying with more than 9,000 civilians killed and tens of thousands injured."

Ms McDonald said what was unfolding in Gaza was "happening before the eyes of the world, and it must be confronted."

She said that Dáil Éireann had become one of the first parliaments in the world to call for a ceasefire, a move she called an "international signal."

“Israel defies these calls for ceasefire. This cannot stand," she said.

Earlier this week, all five People Before Profit TDs penned an open letter to Sinn Féin membership calling for the party to back actions to "stop the genocide in Palestine."

An Open Letter to the Membership of Sinn Féin: Back the actions needed to stop the genocide in Palestine 🇵🇸

In solidarity,

Richard Boyd Barrett TD
Gerry Carroll MLA
Gino Kenny TD
Paul Murphy TD
Bríd Smith TD

Full text: https://t.co/TeGIMYpHBc pic.twitter.com/hcPqKT3SV4

— People Before Profit (@pb4p) November 2, 2023

Writing on Twitter/X this afternoon, PBP TD Paul Murphy welcomed Ms McDonald's statement and expressed hopes that he and his fellow PBP TDS could work with Sinn Féin on a motion to expel the Israeli ambassador to Ireland.

Later in her statement, Ms McDonald said that "all available diplomatic, legislative and political options must be deployed by the Irish government to press the case for an end to all military actions and to achieve ceasefires, the immediate release of all hostages and humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people."

The Irish position of upholding international humanitarian law must guide the actions of our government. The Taoiseach has correctly set out the gravity of Israel’s actions.

She also said that people in Ireland "know the cost of conflict and the value of peace."

"We know that political dialogue between all sides with the support of partners in the region, and the international community is the only way forward.

“There is no military solution to the rapidly deteriorating political and humanitarian situation in Palestine."

Meanwhile, hundreds of people lined Dublin's O'Connell street this evening for a candlelight vigil in support of the people of Gaza.