Sir, – The depravity of the terrorist group Hamas was apparent to all who saw footage or read witness accounts of the butchery in Israel on October 7th, 2023. Innocent civilians were raped, mutilated, burned and murdered, with many of the vile acts captured on camera by the terrorists themselves. The grotesque parading in Gaza to cheering crowds of the coffins of the infant hostage Kfir Bibas, his four-year-old brother Ariel, and the 85- year-old lifelong peace activist Oded Lifschitz in recent days reached new depths of depravity. Since then the world has learned that Hamas lied about returning the remains of the children’s mother, Shiri (“Body handed over by Hamas was not that of mother taken hostage, Israel says”, News, February 21st). Her whereabouts remain unknown as does the identity of the deceased Gazan woman placed in her coffin. The trauma for the Bibas family, especially Shiri’s husband Yarden, the people of Israel and Jewish people worldwide is unfathomable.
The decision by the Irish Government last May to recognise a state of Palestine that has no agreed borders, capital city, democratic process or leadership effectively rewarded Hamas for their murderous assault on Israeli civilians, given the absence of such a move in the 30 years following the Oslo Accords. Why that moment?
Ireland is viewed as a global outlier in its attitude to Israel, a stain on our reputation that perversely seems to be a badge of pride to many, not least seemingly the entire political class. It is, however, a source of deep shame and pain to myself and many others.
I can only hope that the events of the last few days will finally prompt reflection in Ireland and a revaluation, however belated, of attitudes towards Israel and Gaza. Concrete first steps could include unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and their cheerleaders by the Taoiseach and Minister for Foreign Affairs, the end to accepting as true unverified Hamas statistics and propaganda, and meaningful and sincere engagement with Israel to repair diplomatic relations. – Yours, etc,
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JANE MAHONY,
Dublin 6.
