*Photograph: John O’Neill.
A COHORT of Fianna Fáil councillors in Clare have called out their party leadership and Government colleagues for failing to clamp down on the funding of Israeli war bonds.
Last week the Government defeated a motion from the Social Democrats demanding the Irish Central Bank not facilitate the sale of Israeli war bonds by 85 votes to 71.
Councillors in Clare attached to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were singing off a different hymn sheet to their party colleagues in the Dáil, Timmy Dooley TD (FF), Cathal Crowe TD (FF) and Joe Cooney (FG).
In a proposal before the June meeting of Clare County Council, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF), Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF), Cllr David Griffin (FF), Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua (FF), Cllr Rachel Hartigan (FF), Cllr Rita McInerney (FF) and Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF) called on Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe (FG) and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris (FG) “to investigate and instigate appropriate actions that can be taken at National and European level to prevent the funding of Israeli war bonds, and that the Government fast track the Occupied Territories Bill into law”.
It has been 20 months since Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led cross-border attack on Israel on October 7th 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. More than 55,297 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry.
Every night “the genocide in Gaza and ongoing starvation” is clear to see on the 9pm news, Cllr Hayes stated. “We’re here debating real life and issues but there are people under a terrain of bombs and bullets each day, dealing with mass starvation and we’re complaining about our life here,” he stated.
According to the Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District, the Government needs to show and not say they care about what is going on. “It seems people have become immune to death and calling people out and issues. We fought for our freedom, a lot of people died for it but this is genocide and Europe has stood idly by and done nothing. Do we feel comfortable that so many people are dying, we need to call people out. Our Government are saying they’re doing their best but they are not. Passing the Occupied Territories Bill might show we really have an interest”.
Mayor of the Ennis Municipal District, Cllr Colleran Molloy (FF) commented, “To think it has taken the most cruel depravity to see a recent shift in global European Union opinion is abhorrent”. Ongoing support from the US “has allowed this savagery to continue,” she claimed. “We need to be singing off the same hymn sheet,” Cllr Griffin stressed, “We need to find a way to prevent use of Irish funds in funding of genocide”.
“We can all get desensitised to what is on the TV each night,” admitted Cllr Baker Bashua. “it is not right in any society or religion to starve children or women”.
Financial instututions cannot be allowed to support the war effort, Cllr Hartigan said while stressing, “this is a moral motion. “As representatives we need to demand more than statements of concern”.
Contradictions exist in Ireland’s foreign policy if war bonds from Israel continue to be bought, Cllr McInerney highlighted. “We must be consistent, we cannot condemn breachers.. We can’t be selective in that regard”.
Politicians will be remembered for how the situation has been dealt with, Cllr O’Gorman believed. “As a human being when we look back on history we won’t be judged greatly, we all remember what Hitler has done, people said back then he got away without because people didn’t know about it at the time but the people of the world can see on TV and on their phones what is happening in Gaza”.
He continued, “It is something that shouldn’t be happening, we should all hang our heads in shame with the people in power, I know our powers are limited as a local authority but when our children and grand-children ask us what did we do, we can as councillors in Clare say we did a little bit but it is the EU and the Trumps of this world who can stop it because the Israelis won’t stop until every child and woman is killed in the Gaza Strip”.
Push back from local councillors is important, Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) said while reminding the meeting he “marched for Palestine long before” the October 2023 attack.
Support was also voiced for the proposal by Cllr Conor Ryan (FG) and Cllr Michael Begley (FF),
On the suggestion of Cllr Hayes, councillors and Council staff stood in solidarity and silence for forty three seconds.
