Derry Councillor Harkin urges Dáil and Belfast Council re-vote on expelling Israeli ambassadors

Derry People Before Profit Councillor Shaun Harkin called on The Dáil and Belfast City Council to redo votes on backing the expulsion of Israeli ambassadors following Sinn Féin changing its position and now supporting the move.

"The Dáil and Belfast City Council should hold emergency meetings to join Derry and Strabane Council in calling for the immediate expulsion of the Israeli ambassador and a complete cessation of the genocidal siege of Gaza.

"Motions in Belfast and Dublin to expel the Israeli ambassador previously fell but Sinn Féin has u-turned to back the demand. The motion should be urgently moved to be revoted on. 

"An Israeli Minister said dropping an atomic bomb on Gaza is an option and that anyone waving a Palestinian flag doesn't deserve to live. This dehumanisation and violent extremism is at the core of Israeli apartheid. 

"More than 4000 children are dead in Gaza. Unicef describes Gaza as a graveyard for children. Hospitals are overwhelmed with the injured, sick and sheltering families but the health system is close to collapse. Lack of access to water has become extreme. 

"Israel's barbarism and global people power is forcing governments to shift their rhetoric.

"Turkey is the latest government to withdraw its political envoy from apartheid Israel. The Irish government is on the back foot. A majority of Americans back a ceasefire. 

"Staunch allies of apartheid from Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak, the treacherous Keir Starmer to the EU are under pressure to back a ceasefire. 

"Forcing the Irish government to expel the Israeli ambassador will send a powerful message."

Cllr Harkin joined 6,000 protestors on a pro-Palestine march to the United States consulate in Belfast on Saturday. 

The rally was organised by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Speeches at the rally called for a ceasefire, urging the US government to end financial support to Israel. The US provided about $3.8bn of defence aid a year to Israel.

"I joined many people from Derry and across the north west to march with thousands on the US Consulate in Belfast today to demand Joe Biden's government end its complicity with Israel's genocidal war on Gaza," cllr Harkin said.

"A majority of Americans back calls for an immediate ceasefire but Biden is Israel's main military, economic and political supporter.

"Massive demonstrations have taken place across the world this weekend, including in almost every major US city, calling for a cessation of Israel's violence.

"The world is responding to the IDF's intensified barbaric bombing and ground invasion. Refugee camps are being bombed along with ambulances and hospitals.

"Aid workers and journalists are among the near 10,000 killed over the last month, including thousands of children.

"We welcome Sinn Féin's decision to end its opposition to the demand for the Israeli ambassador to be expelled. It isn't a debate in the Palestine solidarity movement and shouldn't have been a debate here.

"Leo Varadkar has been pushed to criticise Israel's assault as more about revenge because of the scale of people power mobilisations across the island.

"None of this is enough. The Irish government must end diplomatic relations with Israel and expel the ambassador. The vote on this should be retaken in the Dáil.

"The Irish government should also immediately implement boycott, divestment and sanctions against apartheid Israel.

"We will continue to press these demands and also ratchet up pressure on Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer.

"People are marching and taking direct action because of Israeli barbarism. We need to do everything we can."