The Workers’ Party has called on the Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin to follow up their words of condemnation of the Israeli invasion of Gaza with action including the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador from Ireland.

Cork Workers’ Party chairman Ted Tynan, speaking at a party meeting in Ashbourne, County Meath over the weekend,  said that the government’s comments on the situation in Gaza were meaningless without firm action.

Mr. Tynan said that Israel was guilty of serious war crimes in Gaza and that it was illegal under international law to visit collective punishment on the densely populated enclave and to deliberately target civilians.   He also called for a massive UN food and medicine programme for Gaza, if necessary in the form of the Berlin Airlift with UN aircraft defying Israel’s blockade on humanitarian grounds.

“The government must show that it has an independent foreign policy and take a strong stand against Israeli war crimes in Gaza.  There are two practical things it can do for starters – First remove the Israeli Ambassador and embassy staff from Dublin where the embassy is nothing more than a mouthpiece for the Israeli Defence Forces.  Secondly the government must ensure that no munitions for Israel are carried through Shannon Airport which has in the past been used for this purpose by the United States, of which Israel is a client state”, said Mr. Tynan who was attending a Workers' Party seminar in Ashbourne, County Meath over the weekend marking the 10th anniversary of the death of Cathal Goulding.

Issued 5th January 2009