Sir, – Mary Lawlor, the UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders, writes that there is no moral case for supplying weapons to Israel and that “Any claims of self-defence in reaction to Hamas’s illegal, immoral and appalling acts of savagery on October 7th have long since been invalidated by the disproportionality of the response” (“This is a war on women, on journalists, on human rights”, Opinion & Analysis, March 6th).
Invalidation is a disturbing word to choose, when we should believe the testimony of women who have the courage to speak out after sexual assault and the day after the UN finally issued a report confirming that multiple sexual abuses by Hamas on Israeli women and men were carried out on October 7th. The attacks included sexual mutilation, torture and cases of gang rape. Evidence of sexual assaults on hostages in captivity was also confirmed. These are attacks that Hamas both denies and vows to carry out again and again. The UN’s reticence on the fate of Hamas’s victims – it took UN Women 44 days to issue a weak statement of concern – the involvement with Hamas of some members of the the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa) in Gaza, and its reluctance to condemn Hamas’s treatment of its own people, only add to a sense of outrage among Israelis.
The Israeli assault on Gaza is ferocious, cruel and heartbreaking. Tragically, Hamas’s role in the conflict is even worse; they carried out October 7th attacks with the knowledge that the Israeli response would be overwhelming and that many innocent civilians would die but did it anyway. Their fighters currently hide in 500km of tunnels, well stocked with food and inaccessible to the public. Given Hamas’s continuing threats to eliminate the State of Israel, the increasing violence from Hizbullah in the north of Israel and the attacks by the Houthis on international shipping, could the UN make a statement about the morality of Iran supplying weapons to all three of its proxies or is Israeli violence the only kind that warrants condemnation? – Yours, etc,
OLIVER SEARS,
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Holocaust Awareness Ireland,
Dublin 2
Sir, – Ireland must decide on its immediate actions to halt the daily massacres and developing famine in Gaza.
At the same time we must contribute to a plan to bring peace to Israel and Palestine as a whole.
There are signs that the marches in our hundreds of thousands have begun to bring urgency and practicality to the Irish Government’s initially indecisive response to the crisis.
This includes its recent decision to maintain and increase humanitarian support for Palestinians, at a time when even UN stalwarts like Canada have put it on hold.
We must do much more as a matter of urgency.
Appealing to the United States for cessation of its supply of war materials to Israel is the first priority.
If this requires it being made publicly on St Patrick’s Day, in every country where our Government representatives visit, or do not, then so be it. Our friends deserve the clarity of our thoughts and historical insights on the issue.
Second, our Government must enact the Occupied Territories Bill.
This has already been supported by the Dáil and Seanad Éireann. Enactment can have an immediate effect on the current conflict, as well as bringing some sort of balance to the dialogue which must follow any ceasefire.
The Bill, or an equivalent, is likely to be taken up in other countries and tilt back the gross negotiating imbalance in power between Israel and the Palestinians.
While this legislation has been denigrated as mere symbolism, it can provide an effective spark similar to that provided by Ireland against South African apartheid in 1984, later described as “pivotal” by Mandela and Tutu.
A decisive seeking of a ceasefire by Ireland does not ignore the rights for peace and protection of Israeli people or disregard what recent and past history has dealt them. Their future security and happiness will surely only be achieved when all in the Middle East can live at ease, in peace with one another. – Yours, etc,
DAVID CLINCH,
Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.