SINN FÉIN TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh has told the Oireachtas committee on foreign affairs its formal criticism of his use of a Nazi analogy at a meeting was “ridiculous”.
Mr Ó Snodaigh had caused controversy when he compared the methods of Israel’s ambassador to Ireland, Dr Zion Evrony, and Fine Gael TD Alan Shatter to those of Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels at a committee meeting last month.
“I stand over the analogy I employed,” he said in a letter to committee chairman Dr Michael Woods of Fianna Fáil, and seen by The Irish Times.
It is understood that Dr Woods was unhappy that media coverage of the emergency meeting focused on the row.
Dr Evrony had appeared to discuss the conflict in Gaza, along with the Palestinian Delegate General to Ireland, Dr Hikmat Ajjuri.
The committee agreed to write to Mr Ó Snodaigh “to draw to his attention the inappropriateness of his comments”.
A letter was sent on Monday, February 2nd.
Mr Ó Snodaigh wrote back to Dr Woods this week [Monday, February 9th], describing the letter as “ridiculous”.
In his response, he said: “As I made clear at the meeting I will not be withdrawing my comments. As an elected member of the Dáil I am entitled to express my opinion freely.”
He claimed the committee had failed to respond to the actions of Israel in Gaza.
“Shame on you all for the sum total of your action has been a ridiculous letter to myself,” he said.
Referring to media coverage of the committee meeting, he said he could not answer for editorial decisions.
Mr Ó Snodaigh had publicly apologised to the Palestinian people for unintentionally distracting media attention from their immediate plight, he said.
A spokesman for the Oireachtas said Mr Ó Snodaigh’s correspondence had been duly noted and considered by the committee.
“Any response by the committee would have to be agreed by the chairman and the other committee members,” he added.
Mr Ó Snodaigh also accused the Government and others in the Oireachtas of failing to take strong action on the situation in Gaza.
“It is ironic in the extreme that you are accusing me of deflecting attention from the urgent debate on the Israeli offensive into Gaza when I was the one who was challenging attempts to deny the reality of what was happening,” he said.
“My whole purpose was to hold the Israeli government accountable for its onslaught,” Mr Ó Snodaigh added.
