Go raibh maith agat 🇮🇪 ❤️

[Ohlalalalala]

This is a fact and everybody knows it but it still feels so refreshing to hear it said by one of the leaders of the west. And it's not just words:

Neither Shannon Airport, nor any other Irish airport, is being used by the US military to support Israel.

EU ‘double standards’ on Israel and Palestine - Varadkar

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/leo-varadkar-israel-irish-palestine-ukraine-b2449992.html

🇮🇪 ❤️

Oh God😥Sorry everyone! I'll try to get it sorted.

I agree the Palestinians have been suffering for years - partly because of the Israeli government but also because of the terrorism of Hamas. What did Hamas think the Israelis would do after the Oct 7th atrocity? Did they think it would stop the Palestinian suffering ? Hamas has said they will continue to commit atrocities against Israeli civilians. I don’t see that there is an end to the suffering of Palestinians until Hamas is eradicated and Netanyahu removed and a more moderate government installed.

@Yorkshirelass04 Thanks for drawing my attention to the typo 😳

No worries

My Irish is very basic so I was checking I wasn't mistaken ☺️☺️

Hamas was founded in 1987. Palestinians have been suffering since 1948.
You see?

Please refer to my other threads if you are so inclined as I share lots of information about Palestine and what's going on. I am not Palestinian. I am not a leftist.

Here's an interesting link:

BLOWBACK: HOW ISRAEL WENT FROM HELPING CREATE HAMAS TO BOMBING IT
https://theintercept.com/2018/02/19/hamas-israel-palestine-conflict/

My Irish is nil. (I asked MNHQ to correct the title and they did! Shush, don't tell anyone 😉)

Now I understand what you meant when you said that! 😂

Corrected. Thank you.

I do know my history dates . And a hundred years ago is quite a long time .
Not really. I remember people of my grandparents' generation telling stories of the Black and Tans which they had lived through.

@Ohlalalalala

WW2 was a long time ago too but it doesn't stop certain posters on here invoking it.

Thanks that was the comparison I was trying to make 🙂

The Britsplaining to Irish people on this thread is hilarious 😂

Eg?

There are a number of different views about the Israel/ Palestine conflict in Ireland . And there are different views in Ireland about our own history. We don’t all think alike.
And if you’re calling me a Brit you can bog off

@Cloie "The Irish army have worked abroad as peace keepers."
They have indeed on UN missions and Israel behaving like it does
Fury at Israeli `excuse' for killing Irish soldier | Independent.ie

and No apology 31 years after death of Sligo soldier in Lebanon | Independent.ie
"was always regarded as a deliberate and unprovoked, attack by the Israelis and this a view has been supported this week by the release of a 19-page memorandum presented to government on January 19th, 1987, entitled Review of Irish Participation in Unifil.
The UN post was hit by three shells and the Sligo solider had died before he could be evacuated to hospital."

This is obviously terrible. I have never argued that Israel’s behaviour is ok.
I just think a ceasefire is not possible while Hamas is still in power and is committed to continuing with atrocities like October 7th and is holding children as hostages.

@Limeandsodaontherocks I don’t think Hamas are the ones who keep breaking the ceasefires - yes they broke the ceasefire this time in a barbaric unforgivable way but Israel never fully committed to it in the first place - they had killed over 200 Palestinians this year alone before any of this happened. We hear about it whenever an Israeli is murdered but the newspapers don’t make a big deal when a Palestinian is as it is just a normal occurrence that happens every week whether or not there is a ceasefire.

For anyone who still believes the narrative that Gazans were persecuted by their government and that they had no freedom of religion/ clothes, etc. Here's what one Gazan journalist posted yesterday on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cz0sD6TA0E9/?igshid=ZWI2YzEzYmMxYg==

I also include one of the comments on the reel which explains well the situation.

Palestinians are among the bravest and most resilient people on earth. May they find peace and justice.

Thank you for this. I think you believe your own narrative and that’s your prerogative.
Reports from Amnesty International and Human Rights organisations are more critical of Hamas
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/05/gaza-palestinians-tortured-summarily-killed-by-hamas-forces-during-2014-conflict/

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jun-27-la-oe-vanesveld-gaza-20100627-story.html

I could copy and paste links all night but no doubt you would find them biased in some way .
Funnily enough I’m not persuaded that Hamas are a benign government by the Instagram posts of an unverified Gazan journalist.
I hope Palestinians find peace and justice and are are finally freed from the tyranny of Hamas and the oppression from Israel.

I think it’s also worth remembering that Israelis are also having to be very brave and resilient.
The images of Shani Louk - half naked and unconscious in a truck full of cheering Hamas supporters- will never leave me.
The images of the injured Palestinian children are also haunting.
I blame Hamas . They have repeatedly said they will not stop the horrific attacks.

You don't blame Israel at all, no?

Yes - fair point. I’m not arguing Israel has nothing to answer for. Im just not sure how a ceasefire is possible when Hamas repeatedly says they will keep attacking Israel and aim to destroy it.

I have said a number of times that Israel has a lot to answer for but this current crisis was caused by the Hamas atrocities. We can keep rehashing history but the events of October 7th were truly shocking and Hamas knew they would have catastrophic consequences. So yes - I blame Hamas for the current crisis which they deliberately engineered. ( no one can imagine they didn’t anticipate what would happen…)

You keep saying a ceasefire is not justified. Why then you do the vast majority of people world wide (eg look at polling data in the U.K. and USA)and an overwhelming number of countries in the UN support it? Could they all be in the wrong?

People talk about echo chambers, resulting in anti-Israeli stance on social media- but it must work both ways. There’s nothing nuanced in repeating a ceasefire is not possible. And yes, I know what Hamas representatives have said that they would repeat October 7th. Do you really think the chance of this is going on to be in reduced by just continuing to bomb Gaza and terrorising Palestinians on the West Bank?

It needs proper consistent diplomacy with a fair hand to consider demands of Palestinians.

I think it amazing that Ireland has highlighted the plight of Palestinians in Gaza. Noted Macron done the same too, but trying to walk a diplomatic tight rope with Israeli government.