Seanad debates

Wednesday, 21 November 2012

11:00 am

Photo of David NorrisDavid Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

In the centre of Jerusalem there is an independence garden. A feature of this on which people often comment is a memorial on which the following text from Bible is inscribed: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem". I pray for the peace of Jerusalem and Gaza. I was moved last night by the concerns expressed on television by two women, one a Jewish woman who has relatives in Israel and the other a Palestinian woman who has relatives in Gaza, for their relatives. That is a balance of grief. However, when it comes to the actual military situation on the ground, what is required is not only balance but proportionality. On many occasions in the past I have spoken out on behalf of Israel, and I have condemned violations of human rights wherever they occurred. I am not interested in Palestinian or Jewish rights, or gay or women's rights; rather, I am interested in human rights. In terms of proportionality, what grieves me, as someone who loves and appreciates the whole Jewish culture and the State of Israel in its historic role, is the blasphemy against the fundamental ethos of Judaism in the killing of women and children. I never thought I would live to see this day, and I regret that I have.

Account must also be taken of the evidence of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, UNWRA, with regard to the school that was attacked during the previous invasion and blitzkrieg, from which there was no escape as it was on the coastline of the Middle East. For three and a half years the Israelis said there were gunmen or military targets there, but they have now admitted this was not true. We need to bear this in mind.

I hope that the peace process works. I wish it well and applaud the Egyptians for the role they are playing. It is a question of human grief. It is vulgar to view these matters as if they were a cricket score. The lack of proportionality is extraordinary. Yesterday, 100 Palestinians and three Israelis were killed. I mourn and grieve for all of them, but the question of proportionality arises.

I take this opportunity to say that Hamas was inspired and provoked by the Israelis in order to undermine Arafat. I recall when this was done. However, it backfired on them, which I regret. I have never been sympathetic to Hamas, but it won an election democratically. That will never be accepted here. I condemn the murder of seven people without trial. It is appalling. However, we must deal with the real situation.

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