THE DECISION BY the Mayor of Sligo Cllr Marcella McGarry, to host a reception for the Israeli Ambassador has been described as “disgraceful” by Cllr Declan Bree.
“At a time when the Mayor of Bethlehem and other Palestinian municipal leaders are appealing for international support and solidarity I find it incredible that the Mayor of Sligo would welcome a representative of the Israeli regime to City Hall.
“This is the same regime that continues to violate the basic rights of the Palestinian people. It is the same regime that continues to ignore the legally binding resolutions of the U.N. Security Council.
“That the Mayor held the reception in City Hall without the knowledge of the other members of the Borough Council speaks volumes.
“Elected representative of all political persuasions in Sligo have refused to have any dealings with representatives of the Israeli regime since Corporal Dermot McLoughlin was killed by the Israeli military while serving with the UN peace-keeping forces in the Lebanon.
“All of us have heard from returning Irish peace-keepers of the outrageous and inhumane behaviour of the Israeli army and its treatment of Palestinian and Lebanese civilians. Indeed two other Sligo soldiers Mannix Armstrong and Tomas Walsh also paid the supreme sacrifice when they were killed by a landmine in Lebanon.
“Decent people throughout the world have been horrified in recent years at the extent of the killings of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the wholesale destruction of homes and infrastructure including schools and hospitals.
“The late Nelson Mandela described Israel as a “terror state” and lambasted it for slaughtering defenceless and innocent Arabs in the occupied territories.
“In Ireland, public representatives, the Congress of Trade Unions, Aosdana, the academy of artists and hundreds of leading musicians, artists and writers have supported the international call for a boycott of Israel
“Considering the level of human rights violations perpetrated on a daily basis by the Israeli regime against defenceless Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank I believe we should be isolating those who are responsible for such behaviour. We should be making it clear that representatives of the Israeli regime are not welcome in Sligo or Ireland until such time as they agree to abide by international law and respect the inalienable rights of all be they Palestinian, Lebanese or Jewish.” said Cllr Bree.