Collective European Union action against Israel over the war in Gaza is “long overdue”, the Tánaiste has said.
Simon Harris, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, said there are “clear, concrete measures the EU can take” over the war in Gaza.
He was responding to more than 200 former European ambassadors and officials signing a letter calling on the EU to step up action against Israel over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The letter states malnutrition is threatening the the lives of tens of thousands of people in Gaza and that more than 2,600 Palestinians had been killed there since a previous letter was sent by members of the group last month.
“We note with dismay that, in the ensuing four weeks since our (last) letter, no ceasefire has been agreed in Gaza, no Israeli hostages have been released, and, alarmingly, the Israeli government has begun implementing plans to empty Gaza City and its environs of one million Palestinians, by forcing them into concentration areas in the south, in preparation for possible large-scale deportations to third countries with the risk of fomenting a migration crisis,” the letter states, according to an RTÉ report.
Describing the letter as a “vital, unprecedented intervention”, Mr Harris said: “If we don’t take collective action now against the backdrop of famine, when will we?
“Collective EU action could make a powerful difference.”
In a series of social media posts, the Fine Gael leader said: “In the absence of collective action, groups of members states should seek to work together but this would not be as impactful or effective and be a indictment on our ability to act as a collective at a time when the EU itself has found Israel in breach of the Association Agreement.
“EU Foreign Ministers meet in Copenhagen this week and I look forward to discussing this directly with counterparts.”
The Government has been accused by campaigners of an “absolute refusal to hold Israel accountable for a genocide”.
The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign has organised a series of demonstrations, with a protest scheduled for Tuesday evening around the Central Bank of Ireland’s role in approving Israeli bonds for sale.
The bank is the designated authority in relation to the sale of Israeli bonds in the EU, and has determined the securities meet the standards of the union’s prospectus regulations.
Israeli bonds have been advertised as supporting the country’s economy and, more recently, websites promoting the securities emphasise their role in supporting Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
Protesters and Opposition parties have called for legislation that would give Ireland the power to refuse the sale of Israeli “war bonds” over human rights concerns.
They say the bonds are intended to fund the war in Gaza, while Ireland has an obligation under the Genocide Convention to use all means likely to have a deterrent effect on those suspected of preparing genocide.
The Central Bank has said regulations require it to approve prospectuses that meet standards of completeness, consistency and comprehensibility. The Israel bond prospectus is up for renewal on September 2nd.
Meanwhile, activists have also called on the Government to pass the Occupied Territories Bill and include services within the legislation.
The Coalition committed to passing a ban on goods from the occupied Palestinian territories in the programme for government.
However, a cross-party committee recommended the prohibition of imports from the Palestinian Occupied Territories should be extended to include trade in services. – PA