Letters: Leave our ambassador in Israel, but continue the protests against genocide

Irish Independent

07-05-2025

On Tuesday, the disgusting statement by Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich that 'Gaza will be entirely destroyed' follow an Israeli security cabinet decision to approve Operation Gideon's Chariots, which an unnamed Israeli official called 'the conquest of the Gaza Strip and the holding of the territories'.
For this reason alone it is import­ant that Ireland has an ambassador in Israel to document the slaughter of men, women and children, and to bring the objections of the Government and people of Ireland to the attention of the Israeli government.
Under the premiership of Benja­min Netanyahu, it appears to all intents and purposes hell-bent on a genocide of the legal inhabitants of the Gaza Strip.
Such an act of attrition is no different from the Holocaust of the Jewish people throughout World War II.
Recalling the ambassador would be falsely interpreted as an antisemitic act. Rather, the Irish Government must reinforce its opposition to the genocide of human beings by the government of Israel.
We witness daily the broad- ranging greeting 'Shalom' being trampled on. It is time to stand outside the Israel embassy in Dublin and chant 'Shalom' loudly. No political banners, no flags, just the chant – the people of Ireland protesting against the government of Israel.
Declan Foley, Melbourne, Australia
Kneecap are saying what the silent majority might be too afraid to verbalise
I commend Ian O'Doherty for supporting Kneecap's right to free speech ('Kneecap are not free-speech martyrs – let them spread their stupid nonsense, because the alter­native is far worse', Irish Independent, May 7).
He refers to John Stuart Mill's book, On Liberty, with free speech being a 'fundamental building block of a liberal society'.
But the English philosopher also said democratic ideals may result in the 'tyranny of the majority'.
ADVERTISEMENT
Learn more
Put simply, tyranny of the majority refers to a situation in majority rule where the preferences and interests of the majority dominate the political landscape, potentially sidelining or repressing minority groups and using majority rule to take non-democratic actions.
Nowhere is this more evident than in Israel, with the administration's agenda to stifle free speech by labelling any criticism of its actions as antisemitic.
Last week your columnist referred to what he termed 'the small matter of the unpleasantness in the Middle East'. I thank God for artists like Kneecap because they are verbalising what a silent majority are afraid to say.
Tom McElligott, Listowel, Co Kerry
Efforts to influence how the papal conclave votes undermines its integrity
Ellen Coyne's report that Declan Ganley helped finance a lavish conservative Catholic gathering in Rome, timed just before the conclave, raises serious questions about the politicisation of the papacy ('Declan Ganley, a ball in Rome and the push for an Irish-American pope', Irish Independent, May 7).
While individuals may advocate for certain candidates, efforts to influence the church's direction through elite fundraising and private meetings with cardinals risk undermining transparency and spiritual integrity.
The suggestion that the next pope should be someone who 'knows everything there is to know about Trump' will trouble many Catholics.
Given Mr Trump's well-documented disregard for truth, humility and compassion, it is difficult to see how such a model aligns with the moral leadership expected of the church.
Enda Cullen, Tullysaran Road, Armagh
President's plan to reopen Alcatraz is so ironic as he could have been an inmate
It's ironic that President Donald Trump is pushing to have Alcatraz reopened – had things worked out differently in the last presidential election, he might have ended up an inmate there.
So, Donald, be careful what you wish for – no one knows what the future holds.
Seamus McLoughlin, Keshcarrigan, Co Leitrim
Global is all very well, but how about shifting some of the focus to domestic?
Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris acquitted themselves at the Global Ireland Summit.
Perhaps now would be a good time for the Government to organise a summit without the word 'Global'. Such a summit might hear the similar pronouncements from our esteemed leaders on the state of our own country and the actions necessary to improve the lives of the people.
An Tánaiste might use a slightly edited version of his Global Summit speech and declare that the Govern­ment 'cannot and will not stand idly by' and watch one in five of our young people intent on emigrating (or maybe change that to evacuating), cannot 'stand idly by' and watch the waiting list for scoliosis surgery grow by the month; cannot 'stand idly by' and watch homelessness continue to increase at an alarming rate; and cannot stand idly by and watch the continuing immigration crisis cause severe stress and unrest among communities.
Peter Declan O'Halloran, Belturbet, Co Cavan
Addiction cannot be easily overcome through simple application of willpower
When Brendan Corrigan says 'One still chooses to open that bottle, snort that cocaine, gamble on that race, etc', he wrongly dismisses the addictive genes that predispose some of us to compulsive and irrational behaviour and betrays a privileged lack of understanding of addiction (Irish Independent, Letters, May 6).
Why is it that, for some people, one more drink, snort, injection, smoke, purchase, bite or bet (as limited examples) is never enough?
Why is it that no matter how grievously the addict may have injured themselves or others the last time they 'gave in', they always have the capacity for one more go?
Why is it that the compulsion can be generational, recurring across the length and breadth of some family trees, and skipping generations in a way that removes the possibility of it merely being learned behaviour?
It is because addiction is not a choice or an offer that addicts can simply refuse.