Justice minister says trend of attacks by Irish teenagers against Indian community ‘totally unacceptable'
Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has described as 'totally unacceptable' a recent spate of attacks against Indians in Ireland by Irish teenagers.
Mr O'Callaghan met on Thursday with representatives of the Ireland India Council and the Federation of Indian Communities in Ireland to talk about a rise in anti-Indian sentiment on the streets and online.
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The Journal
2 hours ago
- The Journal
Downing Street warns Sally Rooney she risks prosecution if she donates to Palestine Action
NORMAL PEOPLE AUTHOR Sally Rooney risks committing a terrorist offence if she funds banned organisation Palestine Action, Downing Street has warned. The award-winning author said she will donate her earnings from her books and BBC adaptions to support the group, which was recently proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK. Downing Street said 'support for a proscribed organisation is an offence under the Terrorism Act' and said no-one should be backing the group. The Co Mayo native said that if that backing Palestine Action 'makes me a 'supporter of terror' under UK law, so be it'. Writing in the Irish Times over the weekend , Rooney said she will use the proceeds of her work and her public platform to continue her support for Palestine Action and 'direct action against genocide in whatever way I can'. Palestine Action was recently proscribed under terrorism legislation in the UK, but not under Irish law. Advertisement The BBC has broadcast adaptations of Rooney's novels Normal People and Conversations With Friends in recent years. But she has never been on the broadcaster's staff and it is understood the corporation is not working with her on any upcoming projects. Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, the ambassador of the state of Palestine in Ireland, said today: 'Sally Rooney is using her voice to call out international law and human rights violations in Palestine. 'I hope these calls result in practical actions that will stop the horrors we're witnessing carried out by Israel in Palestine; to stop the genocide and forced displacement and end the Israeli occupation.' In Westminster, Keir Starmer's official spokesperson would not comment specifically on the author's comments, but said: 'There is a difference between showing support for a proscribed organisation, which is an offence under the Terrorism Act, and legitimate protest in support of a cause.' Asked what message No 10 would give to people considering giving money to the group, the spokesman said: 'Support for a proscribed organisation is an offence under the Terrorism Act and obviously the police will, as they have set out, they will obviously implement the law within the law as you'd expect.' The spokesman said Palestine Action was proscribed 'based on security advice following serious attacks the group has committed, following an assessment made by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre'. In a statement, a BBC spokesperson said: 'Matters relating to proscribed organisations are for the relevant authorities.'
Irish Independent
3 hours ago
- Irish Independent
From Hebrew translation call to speeches and open letters, Sally Rooney has publicly supported Palestine for years
Irish author Sally Rooney's support for Palestine has once again entered public view with her vow to continue supporting Palestine Action.
The Journal
4 hours ago
- The Journal
US envoy calls on Israel to honour Lebanon ceasefire agreement ahead of crucial peacekeeper vote
AS THE VOTE to renew the UN mandate for the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon looms next week a senior US envoy has said it is time for Israel to honour its ceasefire commitments. US envoy Tom Barrack called on Israel to meet its agreement that ended its war with Hezbollah, after the Lebanese government launched a process to disarm the militant group. Under the November truce agreement, weapons in Lebanon were to be restricted to the sovereign state and Israel was to fully withdraw its troops from the country, although it has kept forces at five border points it deems strategic. Hezbollah is a militant group generally based in the south of the country and in the Becca Valley to the north as well as small pockets of Beirut. The agreement would mean that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) would disarm the powerful Hezbollah and other groups such as Amal. There are more than 330 Irish troops in south Lebanon as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The renewal of the UNIFIL mandate is due on 31 August and a vote will likely take place in the United States Security Council on 25 August in New York. Sources both here and abroad have said that the vote depends on US approval – as reported by The Journal the Trump Regime has sent an envoy to Lebanon and Israel . Israel is driving for the US to withdraw its support and veto the UNSC resolution while French diplomats particularly, along with Ireland and other nations, are campaigning for the mandate to remain. The US envoy Tom Barrack met with the Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to discuss the vote this morning. 'I think the Lebanese government has done their part. They've taken the first step. Now what we need is Israel to comply,' he said. Asked by reporters about whether he expected to see Israel fully withdraw from Lebanese territory, Barrack said that 'that's exactly the next step' needed. To the US diplomat, 'the next step is we need participation on the part of Israel, and we need an economic plan for prosperity, restoration and renovation' in Lebanon, weighed down by dire political and economic crises in recent years. Advertisement Barrack said Washington was 'in the process of now discussing with Israel what their position is', adding that 'in the next few weeks you're going to see progress on all sides.' 'It means a better life for the people… and at least the beginning of a roadway to a different kind of dialogue' in the region, he said. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, meets U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, third left, U.S. deputy special presidential envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus, second left, and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa A. Johnson, left, at the presidential palace in Baabda, in east of Beirut, Lebanon. Alamy Alamy Disarm The US diplomat's visit comes less than two weeks after Lebanon's cabinet tasked the army with developing a plan to disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah by the end of the year – an unprecedented step since civil war factions gave up their weapons decades ago. A second cabinet meeting on 7 August tackled a US proposal that includes a timetable for Hezbollah's disarmament, with Washington pressing Lebanon to take action on the matter. The cabinet endorsed the introduction of the US text, which lists 11 objectives including 'ensuring the sustainability' of the November ceasefire agreement with Israel, and 'the gradual end of the armed presence of all non-governmental entities, including Hezbollah, in all Lebanese territory'. There were extensive meetings between Lebanese diplomats, including Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji this morning including Britain, which is a permanent member, and current temporary Security Council member Pakistan. The vote in the UN Security Council can be vetoed by one of the permanent countries – there is a fear that the US will veto it in support of Israeli pressure. Multiple sources in Ireland and abroad we spoke to said they are quietly confident of a renewal but that it may come with strict conditions. Israel routinely carries out air strikes in Lebanon despite the ceasefire, and has signalled it would not hesitate to launch destructive military operations if Beirut failed to disarm Hezbollah. The Journal has observed Israeli positions within South Lebanon and close to Irish bases on a recent visit to the region. Irish troops as well as other peacekeepers have been fired upon by Israeli forces and the factions have also attacked peacekeepers. On 9 August, in an apparent effort to show the Beirut Government were serious in their commitment to disarm Hezbollah, six LAF soldiers were killed inspecting a Hezbollah arms bunker. Today Barrack on stressed that 'dealing with Hezbollah, as we've always said, is a Lebanese process'. With reporting from AFP Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
