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RTÉ News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Behind the Story: Gaza aid blockade, pressure on EBU over Eurovision, and the conclave
In the latest episode of Behind the Story, the new podcast from RTÉ Wews, Katie Hannon, Fran McNulty, and David McCullagh discuss Gaza. Things are getting even worse for those there - starvation has taken hold due to the aid blockade and Israeli politicians are talking openly about taking over the territory and displacing Palestinians from it. The more recent images coming into newsrooms across the world show people climbing over each other to get food, while others look broken as they cry over bodies covered in white blankets. Yesterday Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Israel's blockade"clearly constitutes a war crime", while today Ireland and five other countries released a joint statement calling the plan a "dangerous new escalation". But, as noted in an editorial in the Financial Times this week, much of the West remains silent. US President Donald Trump is set to visit the Middle East next week, and its thought that Israel will move to carry out its military plan after that. "What we have been seeing is horrific, and now we are seeing it come to a point where there has to be intervention, because it has simply gone too far, and that's what many countries are now saying", Fran said. "What we have seen coming out of there on our televisions and on our phones over the last 19 months has been indescribably horrific. But there is something about seeing starving children that pushes it into another level" Katie said. The group also discuss the arguments around Israel's participation in Eurovision next week, following news that RTÉ's Director General Kevin Bakhurst asked the European Broadcasting Union for a discussion on the issue. Fran also chats about the conclave from Rome, as he keeps an eye on the chimney above the Sistine Chapel. You can listen to David, Katie, and Fran's analysis on the situation on Behind the Story which is available on the RTÉ Radio Player.
RTÉ News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Behind the Story: Trump's golf buddy wants Irish ambassador gig
In the latest episode of RTÉ Behind the Story podcast, Jackie fox joins Fran McNulty and Katie Hannon as the spotlight is on the US as it is in the process of picking its next Ambassador to Ireland. Currently Irish-American Edward Walsh, who is a member of Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster (which makes him an ideal candidate according to Donald Trump), is the front-runner for the job. But what exactly will be expected of him? Some comments from yesterday's Senate Foreign Relations Committee have given us some clues. Chairman Jim Risch said that Ireland's recognition of a Palestinian state was a "mistake" and that if selected, Mr Walsh would be asked to express the US's strong support for Israel. He was also told he would be expected to press Ireland on its defence spending, with undersea cables getting a particular mention in this area. RTÉ's Jackie Fox has been following the story closely, and joined Fran and Katie to go through it all. The team also analsyes Mike Waltz's time as Secretary of Defense, the infamous Signal chat he was at the centre of, and Donald Trump's first 100 days in office. You can listen to Katie, Fran, and Jackie's analysis on the situation on Behind the Story which is available on the RTÉ Radio Player.
