Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Council's official conclusions reaffirm the EU's "unwavering support for Ukraine" and "its inherent right of self-defence against the Russian aggression". It is a pity that the same logic was not followed through when it came to Palestine. The communiqué, as well as rightly condemning Hamas's 7 October attack, referenced international humanitarian law to assert Israel's right to defend itself but, as usual, there is no hint of the rights of the Palestinian state. It further deplored the "loss of civilian life" but failed to call for a pause, ceasefire, end to hostilities, peace process or even a full implementation of UN resolutions over decades. It also failed to suspend the EU-Israel Euro-Mediterranean agreement and the European Neighbourhood Policy for Israel's continuous breaches of human rights clauses contained therein, saying only that the EU "will work closely with partners in the region". The only trouble is that one of those partners is Israel, an aggressor perpetrating horrendous deaths and injuries on civilians in Palestine, many times worse, more prolonged and more numerous than perpetrated by Hamas's marauders. If you besiege a city for weeks, hem people in with nowhere to go, encircle them, starve them of food, power and water, totally restrict medical and other supplies and then start raining bombs onto their homes, schools, hospitals, shelters and refugee and ambulance convoys day in and day out and night in and night out, then you are committing a crime against humanity. There are no ifs or buts in that. Holding more than 2 million people hostage and making them targets is as wrong for Israel as it is wrong for Hamas to hold more than 200 Israeli civilians hostage. Bris an léigear, saoraigh na gialla agus tosaigh an tsíocháin atá ag teastáil sa cheantar seo leis na cianta. Tá sé thar am ag an Aontas Eorpach agus ag an tír seo seasamh leis an gceart sa chás seo.

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