Taoiseach hits back at US diplomat who told Irish Government to 'sober up'
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee criticised the Irish Government over its plans to implement legislation that would ban the imports of goods originating in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Mr Huckabee wrote in a post on X: "Did the Irish fall into a vat of Guinness and propose something so stupid that it would be attributed to act of diplomatic intoxication?
"It will harm Arabs as much as Israelis.
"Sober up Ireland! Call (the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and say you're sorry!" US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee delivers remarks as President Donald Trump hosts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a dinner in the Blue Room of the White House on July 7, 2025, in Washington, DC (Image:)
Asked about the comments on Wednesday, Micheal Martin said: "I reject the comments made by the ambassador.
"The situation is very serious in Gaza including an appalling loss of human life. Terrible war crimes are being committed.
"Ireland has consistently condemned Hamas and we equally condemn Israeli breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza.
"The slaughter of children must stop. The slaughter of innocent civilians queuing for food must stop. What is going on is beyond any moral compass.
"Ireland stands for peace and a political pathway forward."
Criticism of the Occupied Territories Bill also came from figures in the Israeli government, which Mr Martin has levelled criticism at for the ongoing war in Gaza. Taoiseach Micheal Martin
Mr Martin said: "I think Israel needs to focus on ending the war that is slaughtering innocent children and civilians.
"This kind of row is ridiculous, given the enormity of killing and the enormity of the death and destruction that's happening in Gaza – and the continuing shocking behaviour in the West Bank and the freedom that's given to extreme settlers to destroy settlements and housing belonging to Palestinians who've been there on that land for generations.
"The time for this war to end this has long passed."
He added: "There's a moral issue here, there's an ethical issue at this stage.
"People queuing for food have been slaughtered. Bombs are landing on houses and children have been slaughtered."
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
a few seconds ago
- Irish Independent
Pope renews call for immediate Gaza ceasefire
'I once again call for an immediate end to the barbarity of this war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict,' the pontiff said at the end of his Sunday Angelus prayer from his summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo. Leo also expressed his 'deep sorrow' for the Israeli attack on the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, which killed three people and wounded 10 others, including the parish priest. 'I appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of populations,' the Pope added. The shelling of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza also damaged the church compound, where hundreds of Palestinians have been sheltering from the Israel-Hamas war, now in its 21st month. Israel expressed regret over what it described as an accident and said it is investigating. 'We need to dialogue and abandon weapons,' the Pope said earlier on Sunday, after presiding over Mass at the nearby Cathedral of Albano. 'The world no longer tolerates war.'
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
John Whelan: Trade war leaves Ireland's booming aviation sector vulnerable
US president Donald Trump's threat of a 30% tariff on EU goods from August 1 puts Ireland's continued growth narrative at risk. Exporters of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, food and drink, and aviation services consider a 30% tariffs on their sales to the US would be very damaging and, in many instances, make supplying their customers across the Atlantic unsustainable. However, having been caught off guard by a letter threatening the 30% duty on EU goods the weekend before last, the European Commission last week quickly tabled a plan to put counter tariffs worth €72bn on imports of US goods. Inevitably, this will hit the European Union's own economy, with Ireland potentially being one of the most impacted. The proposed EU retaliatory tariffs target imports of industrial goods from the US, including aircraft and aircraft parts, machinery, automotives, chemicals and plastics, and medical devices and equipment. Potential EU countermeasures on aircraft imports, coupled with retaliation from the US administration, could risk Ireland's position as a world-leading hub in aviation. Aviation is a highly important part of the Irish trading base, covering aircraf and parts and set to be heavily impacted by EU countermeasures. Potential EU import restrictions on these goods, worth nearly €14bn, according to a document from the Central Statistics Office, would be very damaging to many companies in the sector, including the lucrative aircraft leasing sector. A recent report by aviation investment group Irelandia said the industry in Ireland accounts for 37% of the global commercial fleet, making Ireland a central player in the world's air transport infrastructure. Within the EU member states, the country with the biggest US aircraft imports in 2024 was Ireland, followed by France, the Netherlands, and Germany. Ryanair, Europe's largest airline, imports new aircraft on a regular basis. A 30% import duty would significantly increase the cost of acquiring these new planes. Increased import costs would also likely lead to higher operating expenses for Ryanair. This could affect their ability to maintain their low-cost model and potentially lead to fare increases or reduced profitability. If the cost of new aircraft becomes prohibitive, it could also delay Ryanair's expansion plans, potentially affecting the addition of new routes and increased flights on existing routes. Furthermore, increased costs might lead to a reduction in the number of aircraft available for service, potentially impacting their operational efficiency. Ryanair has already threatened to cancel orders for hundreds of Boeing aircraft if a US tariff war leads to materially higher prices, and said it could look at alternative suppliers, including Chinese plane maker COMAC. However, this will still leave Ryanair exposed to higher costs on Boeing-related maintenance, repair, and overhaul, all increasingly critical with the growth of their fleet. A new import tariff would add to these challenges, potentially exacerbating existing operational difficulties. Aviation between the US and EU is a highly interconnected sector. French multinational aerospace and defence company Thales with a manufacturing base in Northern Ireland, and supplies US-based Boeing and European competitor Airbus with flight management systems and cockpit displays. In exchange, US aerospace giant Honeywell provides flight management systems for Airbus. Hence, the EU's potential retaliatory tariffs on US-made aircraft could escalate the trade war to impact a wider range of aviation products exported to the US. Eurostat figures show Boeing earned €7.5bn of its revenues from Europe in 2024. Airbus had sales of €16bn to the US last year. Future sales would likely be caught in the crossfire. Ireland is already facing a serious hit to its economy due to potentially high tariffs on exports to the US after the August 1 deadline. After Germany, Ireland could be the most affected economies in the EU. Retaliatory actions by the EU could then be more damaging than increased US tariffs on exports. Brussels says it is still seeking a deal to avoid a tit-for-tat escalation in the trade war but is poised to retaliate if needed. Preparations for retaliation are underway. Some commentators believe it is time for the EU to put its guns on the table in the tariff spat and show strength and determination. But there may be extensive consequences. Brussels-based think tank Bruegel has estimated that Ireland's cumulative real GDP loss, due to the total impact of US tariffs, could be 3% by 2028.
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Russia open to peace with Ukraine but ‘our goals' must be achieved, says Kremlin
Russia is open to peace with Ukraine but achieving 'our goals' remains a priority, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said, days after US President Donald Trump gave Moscow a deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face tougher sanctions. Mr Peskov and other Russian officials have repeatedly rejected accusations from Kyiv and its Western partners of stalling peace talks. Meanwhile, Moscow continues to intensify its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities, with more drones launched in a single night than during some entire months in 2024, and analysts say the barrages are likely to escalate. Mr Peskov told state TV reporter Pavel Zarubin: '(Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin has repeatedly spoken of his desire to bring the Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful conclusion as soon as possible. This is a long process, it requires effort, and it is not easy. 'The main thing for us is to achieve our goals. Our goals are clear.' President Donald Trump has recently hardened his stance towards Moscow (Alex Brandon/AP) The Kremlin has insisted any peace deal should see Ukraine withdraw from the four regions that Russia illegally annexed in September 2022 but never fully captured. It also wants Ukraine to renounce its bid to join Nato and accept strict limits on its armed forces, demands Kyiv and its Western allies have rejected. Mr Trump threatened Russia on July 14 with steep tariffs and announced a rejuvenated pipeline for American weapons to reach Ukraine, hardening his stance towards Moscow after months of frustration following unsuccessful negotiations aimed at ending the war. The direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations in Istanbul resulted in several rounds of prisoner exchanges, but little else. Mr Trump said he would implement 'severe tariffs' unless a peace deal is reached within 50 days. He provided few details on how they would be implemented, but suggested they would target Russia's trading partners in an effort to isolate Moscow in the global economy. In addition, Mr Trump said European allies would buy 'billions and billions' of dollars of US military equipment to be transferred to Ukraine, replenishing the besieged country's supplies of weapons. Included in the plan are Patriot air defence systems, a top priority for Ukraine as it fends off Russian drones and missiles. Doubts were recently raised about Mr Trump's commitment to supply Ukraine when the Pentagon paused shipments over concerns that US stockpiles were running low.
