Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has called for a de-escalation of the violence in Israel and Gaza, warning of the potential for the conflict to spread to other parts of the region or even on to European streets.
More than 1,300 people were killed in Israel last weekend when Hamas fighters crossed the border to attack civilians and soldiers, with a reprisal bombing campaign by Israel over the last number of days on the Gaza Strip killing more than 2,200 people.
While Ireland supports the right of Israel to defend itself, any response must be proportionate and a de-escalation is needed, Mr Varadkar said.
“We don’t want to see this conflict spread to other parts of the region, or to see violence on our own streets here in Europe as a consequence of what might happen there.”
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Mr Varadkar was speaking at the Irish Cultural Centre in Paris, where he launched an exhibition commemorating the 225th anniversary of the ‘Year of the French’. In August 1798, one thousand French soldiers under the leadership of General Humbert landed in County Mayo to assist the Irish Rebellion.
He had been scheduled to meet Mr Macron on Friday evening at the Élysée Palace, but the talks were postponed after a teacher was stabbed to death at a school in northern France. Mr Varadkar said he wished to express his support and solidarity with the French people following the attack.
The two leaders will meet on Sunday evening, where they are expected to discuss current European issues, in particular the response to the Hamas attacks against Israel, and the continuation of European support for Ukraine. The Taoiseach said he was looking forward to having a chance to strengthen bilateral relations with France which, he said, had never been better.
Mr Varadkar said he would be interested to hear the French president’s assessment of the situation, adding that Emmanuel Macron had been making a number of phone calls to leaders and heads of government in the region.
Asked if he would expect to have divergent views on Israel with the French president, Mr Varadkar said he wasn’t sure that would be the case. “There is a very large Jewish community here in France, but there’s also a large Muslim community that would be more sympathetic towards the Palestinians.
“I think one thing France has always done, of the big world powers, France has been one of the more balanced, and supported Israel’s right to defend itself – just as we do – but has always recognised that injustices have been done to the Palestinian people for decades.
“I’d be of the view, and I think we’ve learned it from our own country’s experience, that there is no military solution that will bring peace and security to the people of Israel and the people of Palestine. We have had 70 years of conflict, on-and-off wars, terrorism. It has to be a political solution.
“Ultimately I think the European Union, alongside the US and others will have a strong role to play once the fighting is over. We need a new peace initiative, because the only way that Palestinians can get justice and Israelis can get peace and security is through a political solution. Military solutions haven’t worked for 75 years now.”
Meanwhile, Mr Varadkar was also asked about health spending following fraught Budget 2024 negotiations in which the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly received an additional €800 million in core funding despite seeking more than €2 billion.
“The health service has had its biggest budget ever, nearly €23 billion for next year. It’s expanding. The health service will continue to expand but it must operate within its budget, and we have had a long-standing problem in the health service of people being recruited without any authorisation from government. And we see spending limits being breached, particularly in the hospitals, and I think really next year has to be a year of consolidation.”
He said it was not the case that the budget for the health service was going to be reduced. “Nor is it the case that overall staff levels will fall. They won’t. They will increase. We have to get a handle on the budget and get a better understanding as to where the money goes and what all the additional staff are doing.”
The Taoiseach said it “remained to be seen” whether patient services would be impacted.
He said there was also increasing demand for services, and said the government would try to manage the situation so that there would not be a negative impact on patient services.
“One thing I’ve learned, as a former Health Minister and after twelve years in government, there is not a direct corelation between money and staffing and outcomes. It’s not that simple. I wish it was. We have gone from a budget of 14 billion when I was Health Minister to nearly 24 billion now, that’s an extra ten billion a year and it’s not a one-off, it’s accumulative.
“The amount of resources going into our health system is phenomenal, and I’d like to see more of a connection between extra money and extra staff and better outcomes for patients. We do see better outcomes but not to the extent that could be the case.”
