Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland receives warm welcome from Meath county councillors

The Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland received a warm welcome to Meath on Monday when she addressed Meath Co Council at Buvinda House.

Her excellency, Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmazid said afterwards she was grateful for the warm reception and the support the people of Meath for the recognition of the state of Palestine.

The Palestinian Flag was raised at Buvinda House for the occasion and members of the Meath Ireland Palestinian Solidarity campaign were outside to show their support.

Dr Abdalmazid who was accompanied by Senator Frances Black, spoke movingly of the current situation in Gaza and the suffering endured by the people.

The Ambassador said her country needed the support of the Irish people to give the Palestinian population hope.

“We also need your voice for us with the US and in Europe,” she said.

Dr Abdalmazid welcomed the recent call by Taoiseach Simon Harris for the trade agreement between the EU and Israel to be suspended.

She was grateful he has called on the European Commission to review whether Tel Aviv was in breach of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which is conditional on respect for human rights, given the vast civilian death toll in Gaza.

She said his comments as well as Tánaiste Micheál Martin's announcement that Ireland will cease purchases of Israeli military equipment sent a very strong message.

The ambassador spoke of the importance of economic sanctions against Israel.

She also spoke about the escalation of attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank by the occupying forces and colonial settles, particularly in the northern area of the West Bank.

“There has been 626 killed in the west Bank since October and 20 have been killed in the last three days.

“There are 700,000 illegal settlers and there are more incursions every day.”

Cathaoirleach, Cllr Sharon Tolan said it has been a very sobering but necessary discussion, but they were pleased to be able to listen to the ambassador and her first hand experiences and personal testimony of what is happening there.

“We are all supportive the Government implementing sanctions against Israel of pressuring the EU to do the same.”

Cllr Alan Lawes said the time for talking was past, it was now time to take action again Israel.

“Now is the time to implement sanctions. When calling for the release of the Israeli hostages, there are 10,000 Palestinians detained without trial in Israel where they are treated harshly and many of them are children. I am calling for their release too.”

Cllr Eddie Fennessy said that since last October, 2.3 million Palestinians have been displaced by Israel, almost 95,000 have been injured and over 40,000 have been murdered, 70per cent of whom were women and children, 90per cent of whom were civilians.

“10,000 more are unaccounted for, feared buried beneath the rubble of what was once Gaza. These are crimes against humanity, And we ought to bow our heads in shame for letting it happen.

“Israel is a rogue state, and they must be treated as such.

“They commit Genocide against the Palestinian people and, the international community must hold them to account for their actions.

“The European Parliament and all it's member states, must recognise the Nation State of Palestine and give to the Palestinian people, the international protection they need, to keep them safe from the genocidal state of Israel.”

“By any rule of measure the suffering inflicted upon the Palestinian people through 75 years of occupation, colonisation and extermination, is a damning indictment of western society and civilization”