Thousands of protesters have heard calls for Ireland to introduce immediate sanctions on Israel as a major demonstration took place in Dublin.
Crowds of activists made their way across the city and assembled outside the Dáil on Saturday afternoon for the rally organised by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC).
The event, billed as a National Demonstration for Palestine, took place a day after Taoiseach Simon Harris revealed that he had sought legal advice around continued trade with Israel.
🇵🇸 Look at the view from the stage at our huge National Demonstration for Palestine today. The streets are with Palestine! 🇵🇸#FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/4Yx3Ny17KE
— IPSC (@ipsc48) August 31, 2024
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Mr Harris acknowledged that international trade policy is an EU competency, but he said he wanted “fresh legal advice” from Attorney General Rossa Fanning in light of a recent ruling by the International Court of Justice.
In July, the UN’s top court declared Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories unlawful and called for settlement construction to stop immediately.
Mr Harris said “every lever” must be pulled to maximise pressure on the Israeli government to stop the violence in Gaza.
The leaders of Ireland’s three coalition parties decided on Thursday that the state would not procure any further defence or military equipment and contracts from Israel.
Under EU treaties and common commercial policy, the European Commission represents Ireland and all other member states in international trade negotiations.
However, Mr Harris said the decision around suspending imports of defence equipment is “legally possible” under the context of the ICJ ruling.
He added that he was seeking advice from Mr Fanning on whether the rulings had any implications for other areas of trade with Israel.
Meanwhile, the Department of Transport continues to engage with an airline at the centre of reports that multiple flights carrying ammunition and explosives to Israel had passed through Irish airspace.
It is prohibited to transport munitions of war on civil aircraft across Irish airspace without an exemption from the Minister for Transport.
Saturday’s rally in Dublin heard demands for more government action against Israel.
IPSC chairwoman Zoe Lawlor spoke of the toll suffered by children in Gaza.
“The horrific figure of 40,000 dead includes almost 17,000 children, 33% of all fatalities, meaning that 1.5% of all children in Gaza are now dead,” she said.
“Over 20,000 children are estimated to be lost, disappeared, detained, buried under rubble or in mass graves, 34,000 children have been wounded, 17,000 have been orphaned.
“Eight hundred thousand traumatised and damaged children are in desperate need of psychological help, 620,000 children have been denied their right to education, while crèches, schools, universities and hospitals have been obliterated.
“Children are one of the most at-risk demographics when it comes to the dangers posed by disease, famine and thirst, all of which are rampant in Gaza.
“With 7% of Gaza’s children now murdered, lost or wounded, it’s clear that children are deliberate targets of apartheid Israel’s genocidal onslaught.”
The Israeli embassy in Ireland has criticised Mr Harris’s comments about the EU trade agreement.
In a statement, the embassy said: “We keep following statements and actions taken by the Irish Government which will achieve nothing but souring further the two countries’ bilateral relations.
“We follow with dismay the continued rise in anti-Israeli rhetoric and actions bordering vilification of Israel.
“This tragic war was launched by Hamas and is being perpetuated by Hamas, which still holds in captivity over a hundred Israelis while at the same time abusing its own population.
“Israel is facing an enemy committed to its annihilation. It’s unfortunate that the Irish Government prefers to ignore basic realities.
“In its fight against terror orchestrated by Iran, Israel is committed to international law and the rules of war, while fighting a genocidal enemy.”
