Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)

The annihilation of Gaza is apparently under way. We are seeing a ground attack, the blowing-up of high-rise buildings and the orphaning of children. I am in an Ireland-Palestine solidarity WhatsApp group in Dublin 15. The videos Gazan people are sharing are absolutely chilling. We are in a new phase of the genocide. There is a global day of action today. There will be a protest at the Dáil at 4.30 p.m.

This has been a shameful exposé of the EU. For 23 months, it has been willing to allow preferential trade treatment for Israel at a time when it is carrying out genocide and killing at least 60,000 people, although I am sure it is a lot more. Even now, all that is being spoken about is not ending the trade relationship with Israel but ending the preferential treatment it has been getting. It does not even look like that will pass, because big powers like Germany are likely to oppose it. This is the same Germany whose police state is beating the likes of Kitty O'Brien, an Irish citizen, and many other activists on a regular basis. We all agree it would be much better and more powerful if the EU acted in concert. I heard the Tánaiste speak a short while ago on that. Given that the EU has shown that it is going to put imperial interests ahead of human rights-----

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