3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Taoiseach confronted by Gaza protest in Galway – ‘I take issue with people trying to cause division in the country'
He was reacting to a large protest in Galway against the Government's decision to reject a motion to ban the sale of Israeli 'war bonds' through the Irish Central Bank.
The Taoiseach was at the official launch of the next phase of development on the mixed-use retail and residential Crown Square Development in Galway city on Friday afternoon.
Over 100 people gathered outside the Raddison RED hotel at the front of the development in Mervue to protest the decision.
Mr Martin said the Irish Government has always 'led from the front' on the issue and will 'continue to do that'.
Commenting on the protest, he said: 'I take issue with people who are trying to cause division in the country on the issue. The Irish Government has led from the front in respect of the middle east and Gaza.
'I would say to the protestors to go and ask the Palestinian Authority, go and ask Palestinian people around the world, go and ask people in the Middle East and Egypt and Jordan.
'They will tell you how they believe the Irish Government has been leading for justice and for fairness. Also trying to get other countries to come on board in respect of getting a ceasefire, the release of all hostages and a massive surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza through the United Nations' Agencies.'
The protest was organised by Galway Palestine Solidarity Campaign, who have called on the Government to reverse the bonds decision.
Israeli bonds sold in the EU have been authorised by the Central Bank in Ireland since Brexit, a process that has come under intense scrutiny.
The Israeli government has previously stated that the bonds support its military operations in Gaza.
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A Sinn Féin motion was lodged in the Dáil on Wednesday night which looked to stop Ireland's involvement in the sale of the bonds. However, the Government did not support the bill, citing legal reasons.
The bill was subsequently defeated by 87 votes to 75 – despite two Government-supporting independent TDs voting in favour of it.
The protest came during an event that marked a significant milestone of the Crown Square Development, a project that has been almost 20 years in the making.
An initial green-light was given to the project by city planners in 2006, but the recession and further planning difficulties have caused the project to stall on multiple occasions.
The protestors followed the Taoiseach's movements from the outer perimeter of the development as he passed through the facility.
'People are entitled to protest, but I think democracy in Ireland is alive and well and I think people should be allowed to do their business as well and carry out normal duties in respect of facilities such as this,' Mr Martin said.
'But I will not be deterred from doing it as a government. We've done a lot, a lot of people acknowledge that, the real issue is the Israeli Government, not the Irish Government.
'The Israeli Government is behaving in an appalling manner, in my view, and there are elements of that Government, particularly ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, who have been very clear in articulating a desire to destroy Gaza in its entirety.
Ireland has intervened in a case before the international court of justice, I initiated that as Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the South Africa case under the Genocide Convention. We've intervened in other cases in the ICJ on this. We've supported the International Criminal Court and its work financially.
'At every multinational level we have intervened with a view to fairness, justice and in line with the United Nations charter and we are going to continue to do that.'
