INTERNATIONALAPRIL 2021 BULLETIN PALESTINE SPECIAL Sinn Féin President calls for show of solidarity with the people of Palestine 2020 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINE Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald TD has called on the Irish government “As communities throughout the world attempt to to show solidarity with the Palestinian people by formally recognising the state cope with a global pandemic, the Israeli government of Palestine. Teachta McDonald said: continues to compound the challenges faced by “International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People gives the international Palestinians through daily acts of aggression.” community, including Ireland, an opportu- nity to honour the hopes and aspirations for peace and dignity of the Palestinian – Sinn Féin President, Mary Lou McDonald TD people. “The Palestinian people continue children had their homes destroyed by to live under daily oppression and the Israeli security forces. the Israeli authorities are ramp- “Demolition is not confined to res- ing up their ongoing attempts at idential homes. Humanitarian infra- annexation of vast swaths of the structure, including farming equip- West Bank. ment, has also been destroyed. Much “Palestinian families are being of this equipment was funded by EU made homeless daily. Just this states, including Ireland. week we have witnessed Pales- “For all intents and purposes, the tinian families in the al-Burj and Israeli government is committed to al-Maita areas of the Jordan Valley making it impossible for the Pales- being forced out of their homes in tinian people to maintain a viable order to make way for Israeli mili- homeland. tary training operations in the area. “I am, once again, calling on the “As communities throughout the Irish government to use this occasion world attempt to cope with a global to honour the wishes of the elected pandemic, the Israeli govern- members of the Oireachtas who have ment continues to compound the voted to recognise the State of Pales- challenges faced by Palestinians tine and formally doing so on behalf of through daily acts of aggression. the Irish people. “In 2020, Israel authorities “They should also end their oppo- destroyed more Palestinian homes sition to the Occupied Territories Bill than at any time since 2016. and ensure it is brought back before “In November, on a single day, 41 the Oireachtas as soon as possible.” @SFIntDept www.sinnfein.ie @sinnfeininternational SPECIAL 2 BULLETIN DONEGAL SET TO TWIN At January’s meeting of Done- Jack Murray for bringing for- galWITH County Council, Cllr RAMALLAHGerry ward TOWN the motion. McMonagle successfully se- Speaking after the meeting, cured a twinning relationship Councillor Gerry McMonagle between the Council and West said: Bani Zaid in the Ramallah “Sinn Féin councillors are District of Palestine. delighted and honoured to Mickey Brady MP A motion was brought forward have supported this request following a request from providing some basic practical the Mayor of West Bani Zaid assistance to the Palestinian Call to exert proposing that the two areas people of West Bani Zaid enter a twinning arrange- particularly considering the ment to build stronger links repression and deprivation between cities and towns in Palestinian people constant- pressure on Ireland with Palestine. Cllr. Gerry ly face including the denial Cllr McMonagle outlined McMonagle of their National rights, the the basis for the twinning that apartheid regime they are israel over each Council would share their forced to live under, and the experience and policies on ongoing occupation and col- issues like tourism, economic The move was welcomed by onisation of their land by the evictions development, environment West Bani Zaid Mayor Mr Yazan Israeli government. and planning. R. Remawi who expressed his “On behalf of the people of The motion was seconded gratitude and thanks to the Donegal, we look forward to Head of the Palestinian Mis- by Cllr Jack Murray and backed members of Donegal County building greater and closer co- sion to the Britain, Ambassador unanimously by the other Council and in particular, to operation with our Palestinian Husam Zomlot, has called on the members of the Council. Cllr’s Gerry McMonagle and brothers and sisters.” British government, lawmakers and civil society to exert pres- sure on Israel to prevent another humanitarian disaster. The Israeli occupation forces Government must take ‘tangible are readying plans to evict 37 households comprising 195 Pal- estinians from their homes in the action’ to support the Palestinian East Jerusalem neighbourhoods of Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan. Ambassador Zomlot said: “These peopleSinn Féin’s John Brady - JohnTD has criticised Brady shelved TD the Occupied Territories Bill and have evictions are part of a clear pat- Minister Simon Coveney on the lack of ac- further chosen to ignore the express wishes tern of Israeli aggression, which tion on behalf of the Irish government over of the Oireachtas to recognise the state of seeks to consolidate Israel’s ongoing de facto Israeli annexation of the Palestine. hold on the occupied territories, West Bank. “These are real and tangible actions, which especially occupied East Jerusa- Speaking at the Joint Committee on Foreign offered an opportunity for Ireland to show the lem, at the expense of the land’s Affairs and Defence, Teachta Brady said: type of leadership over Palestine, which many in native population.” “Annexation is a war crime. This is a fact that this country did over apartheid in South Africa. Sinn Féin MP Mickey Brady has been established in law by the United “International opinion impacts on Israeli intent. added: Nations. We as a country could have brought focus to “This outrageous. Israeli au- “The de facto annexation of the West Bank by bear on their actions. thorities are planning to oust 37 the Israeli government is ongoing as we speak. “We could have offered a brief, but much need- Palestinians from their homes in This is something that I have commented on ed sense of optimism to the Palestinian people, the middle of a pandemic. repeatedly. simply by acting upon the stated wishes of the “It is unacceptable that Israel “I have appealed for the Irish government to members of the Dáil, but which the government can continue to treat the people take the type of tangible action that is neces- refuses to act upon. of Palestine and international sary to support the people of Palestine to resist “We must continue to put pressure on the gov- law with disdain. the illegal actions of the Israeli authorities. ernment, we must increase pressure when and “The Irish government, the EU “Unfortunately, Minister Coveney and the Irish where we can, we must find new and innovative and International must stand government refuse to do so. ways to bring the very real sense of outrage against these continued attacks “I know that my focus on Palestine angers the felt by the people of Ireland to the doorstep of on occupied territory. Enough is Minister. But the reality is that the government, this government – then we can begin to effect enough.” largely at the behest of the Minister, have change.” @SFIntDept www.sinnfein.ie @sinnfeininternational SPECIAL 3 BULLETIN Online Discussion with Palestine Ambassador To mark International Day of Solidarity with Palestine, John Brady spoke to Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland Dr Jilan Wahba live on Facebook for an update on the situation in Palestine, the Occupied Territories Bill and to restate Sinn Féin’s solidarity with the people of Palestine. You can re-watch the event here: www.facebook.com/224341847590305/videos/327740585347222 EU must increase Israeli pressure to ensure PalestineSinn Féin’s Chris MacManus MEP Vaccinations has de- – Chris MacManus scribed the EU’s effort to ensure Palestin- ians receive the vaccine as an “overly dip- lomatic act of insufficiency” and called for more “tangible influence to be exerted”. Last month, the Midlands Northwest MEP, along with other MEPs from The Left group wrote to Mr Borrell, the EU’s Foreign Affairs High Representative, to request action on Israel’s refusal to vaccinate Palestinians. Speaking from Brussels, Chris MacManus commented: “I welcome the EU taking direct action to get vaccines to the Palestinian people; its efforts here should be increased. Howev- er, I am disappointed the EU’s diplomatic pressure on Israel, to fulfil its obliga- tions under international law, has been described as mere “encouragement”. To me, High Representative Borrell’s letter is “The EU must engage in a deep revaluation of its relationship with a polite way of saying the EU will not really Israel, in light of such blatant violations of its obligations as an challenge Israel but instead will do our best to reverse the worst impacts of Isra- occupying power, and a lack of respect for human rights.” el’s actions, ie the path of least resistance. “Israel recently backed down from its complete refusal to vaccinate Palestinians, – Sinn Féin MEP, Chris MacManus saying it would vaccinate 100,000 Pales- “The EU must engage in a deep revalua- from the EU is an overly diplomatic act of tinian workers in Israel or working in its tion of its relationship with Israel, in light insufficiency and I am calling for more tan- settlements in the West Bank. Last Friday, of such blatant violations of its obliga- gible influence to be exerted. it backtracked on this rollout, announcing tions as an occupying power, and a lack of “I believe the first step in the reorienta- a postponement, which it attributed to respect for human rights. The EU’s current tion should be a suspension of Israel from administrative delays. It has not provided approach only encourages Israel to push all EU funded projects and an EU wide ban any information on a possible new start the boundaries of oppression in the occu- on Israeli products produced in the occu- date.