Letters to the Editor: The State must stop being complacent on Gaza
Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, on Monday. Picture: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP
Commenting on reports from the World Food Programme that “children are being left starving, and even dying” due to the Israeli state’s ongoing refusal to let aid into Gaza, Tánaiste and minister for foreign affairs Simon Harris has said: “We cannot and will not stand idly by and let this happen.”
To “stand idly by and let this happen” would be bad enough, but how about to actively facilitate the funding of such atrocities?
The Israeli state’s depredations — be they the bombing of hospitals, the strafing of ambulances, and the execution of medics, or the callous blocking of aid convoys — are partly funded by global sales of “Israel bonds”, with sales throughout the EU authorised by none other than our very own Central Bank.
Finance minister Paschal Donohoe has dismissed the prospect of legislating to end this grotesque facilitation of Israeli atrocities, despite the advice of the Oireachtas’s office of parliamentary legal advisors saying that “a private members’ bill can provide for restricted access to its financial services on the basis of public policy grounds that are rooted in the Ireland’s fundamental interest in pursuing its international law obligations”.
If our Tánaiste is “deeply appalled and sickened” at Israel’s continuing blockade of humanitarian aid entering Gaza, how much more appalling and sickening is it to think that, under the Government’s watch, a State institution is directly complicit in the Israeli state’s unconscionable war crimes?
The Government must end this appalling practice immediately.
All this talk about who might succeed Michael D Higgins as President reminds me of an amusing incident which occurred when Patrick Hillery was in the role.
One bright summer day, he decided to pay a visit to his native Co Clare. He then decided that, as he was there, he might as well visit the small national school which he had attended as a boy.
It being a very warm day, the teacher had told the children to “téigh a chodladh”, at which they all folded their arms on their desks and rested their heads on them as if asleep.
At this, the teacher produced a newspaper and began to read it.
When Mr Hillery stepped into the doorway, the sun cast his shadow across the floor — at which point the teacher jumped to her feet and hid the newspaper behind her back.
However, on recognising the visitor, she gasped: “Oh sacred, is it only you Paddy? I thought it was a cigire.”
It was very impressive to hear on the radio an interview with the compassionate army chaplain, who forgave the young man who had attacked him with a knife at Renmore Barracks.
Fr Paul Murphy has a clear message: “We have to combat hatred with reconciliation and not with more hatred.”
If this message could in some way be adopted by leaders in the Middle East, surely we would see a rapid end to the unspeakable suffering of the people of Gaza — who are besieged without food, water, or a safe place for themselves or their children to rest their heads.
Looking through the archives and reports on frontline staff, I am truly shocked at the extent of intimidation and assaults that are carried out through all facets of our services — from healthcare staff, to teachers, SNAs, gardaí, and prison officers.
It is truly frightening, while we are living in a time of relative prosperity, that we have people in our midst who are willing to injure and harm frontline staff who are there to teach, enforce law and order, provide us with medical help, and detain prisoners.
In 2024, teachers taking sick leaved after assaults soared from 260 in 2023 to 404. 106 of those were primary school teachers, while 285 were primary SNAs.
From January 2023 to February 2024, some 4,016 nurses were verbally, physically, or sexually assaulted in their workplaces.
In 2024, some 555 gardaí were injured on duty — down from 681 in 2023. 309 of those were as a result of assaults in the course of their duties.
Sadly, we have experienced the loss of 89 gardaí in the due execution of their duties.
In our prisons, in 2024, 145 prison officers were attacked and injured by prisoners — a 32% increase on the previous year.
While these figures represent those known and reported assaults, the true figures are probably much higher.
Is this the type of society we wish to live in, when those who provide us with the services aforementioned are more than likely to be abused, intimidated, physically or sexually assaulted, or killed, during their careers?
Those who carry out these acts of violence, and who are aware of their very actions, must be brought to book and feel the full force of the law, but must also be compelled to engage with organisations or services to show how they impact on people’s lives and those of our frontline staff.
Like many people, I have been in a cell at Alcatraz Island but escaped. It’s a lot easier when you are a tourist.
Now, president Donald Trump wants to reopen it as a working prison for the worst. Prisoners have previously escaped from cells but died crossing the bay, we presume.
There are secure jails already and, if not, building and running prisons is very profitable.
Basically, it’s probably another attention distracting stunt rather than wiping out an interesting tourist spot.
However, he might be looking at converting it to a luxurious venue given the number of previous attempts to jail him.
I find it incredulous that journalism students at Columbia University in the US are being told to avoid posting, publishing, or writing anything that might upset the current administration.
Let’s not forget that they are being told this by the dean of their own school.
I found it utterly risible that the vice president JD Vance stood up recently in Munich and claimed that Europe’s freedom is somehow under threat.
Talk about speaking out of both sides of one’s mouth.
It’s my assertion that the US is tottering on the edge of dictatorship.
It’s incumbent on powerful voices across all US institutions — from politics to academia and religion — to now speak out.
This is not about whether American’s are Democrats or Republicans. They are either patriots fighting the regime or they are choosing to be complicit in its tyranny.
There is no middle ground here.
These are threatening and menacing times for many Americans and, if leaders stay silent, the US as we know it will not survive.
Of course Donald Trump wants all movies to be made in Hollywood.
Sure isn’t he presently the director, producer, and lead in the the greatest soap opera of all time?
Trócaire respectfully calls on the Government to use its influence at the UN and EU to advocate for a Global Fossil Fuel Non-proliferation Treaty.
This treaty can provide a road map towards a fair and positive phasing out of fossil fuels.
It has been widely endorsed by legislators and NGOs throughout the world, including the WHO.
The Government has already taken several positive measures to address the pervasive threat of climate change.
We hope it will continue to build on this good work by pressing for the establishment of this treaty.
