Muslim Community Lobby Ireland is an independent organization established 1st May 2007. Its motto is TO USE THE VOTE RIGHTLY AND TO RAISE THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY AWARNESS WITH THEIR RIGHTS AND TO PROMOTE TOLERANCE AND UNDERSTANDING OF OTHER EXISTING GROUPS. لترشيد استعمال الصوت الانتخابي ولتوعية وتعريف المسلمين بحقوقهم في ايرلندا وان يعيشوا بتفهم للواقع وللجماعات الاخرى الموجودة على الساحة

Friday, January 15, 2010

STATEMENT BY PROINSIAS DE ROSSA Labour MEP for Dublin

Monday, January 11, 2010 ‘DEFENDING HOPE IN GAZA’ DE ROSSA
Speaking today at the launch of Frontline's Photographic Exhibition 'Defending Hope in Gaza', a pictorial record of Israel's January 2009 war on Gaza in which more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians including 300 children, were killed, Labour MEP Proinsias De Rossa called for an immediate and unconditional end to the two-and-half year Israeli siege of Gaza. He said: "Israel's siege of Gaza, now in its third year, continues to cause death and appalling suffering. The denial of the most basic of human rights, not only the right to a life of dignity but to life itself, is contrary to international law and to the UN Charter. The siege also has the perverse effect of ensuring impunity for breaches of human rights by the Hamas-controlled junta in Gaza. "Ending of the siege of Gaza would transform the living conditions of the 1.5 million men, women and children who are prisoners in their own land, and create the potential for political progress at a time when hope is fast fading for a negotiated two-state solution. "Last December I led an official cross-party delegation of MEPs on a fact-finding visit to Ramallah, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron and Gaza; at the last minute we had been denied access to Gaza by the Israeli authorities. In the course of our visit it was clear that Israel’s colonisation of Palestinian territory by settlers in the West bank and Jerusalem, coupled with its siege of Gaza, is breeding despair particularly amongst the young. The moderate leaders we met appealed to us to impress on European Union Member State governments the urgent need to act firmly in support of human rights and the right of Palestinians to their own independent, homeland, alongside Israel. They welcomed the strong 8 December statement by European Union Foreign Ministers (which coincided with out visit) outlining Europe’s support for a Palestinian state and for a halt to the colonisation of the West bank and East Jerusalem, but warned that this statement had to be followed up without delay with actions. "The humanitarian situation in Gaza has not improved over the past twelve months. Only a trickle of the goods necessary for a normal life is being allowed in by Israel, a fact confirmed by Israel’s own monthly statistics. Despite their best efforts, the UN and the other humanitarian and human rights NGOs in Gaza cannot overcome the devastation caused by the War and the destruction of the economy. Only an end to the siege can effectively address that. We cannot continue to do business with Israel as if it was fully in compliance with international law. If Israel were a member of the EU it would be expelled because of its persistent breach of the legal norms, the basic requirements for EU membership. "I would now urge the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Michael Martin T.D. to follow up his excellent initiative in seeking to access Gaza to see things for himself, which was also blocked by Israel, by unilaterally initiating a series of political and commercial steps in Ireland to exert pressure on Israel to end the siege. "This could include measures that ensure that all imports from Israel are clearly identified as such, and that no goods or food produced in the illegal settlements are allowed into Ireland. "He could also insist that companies tendering for public procurement contracts in Ireland establish that they are not engaged in any way in supporting illegal activity by Israel such as building the notorious and illegal 'Separation Wall', and that they do not have subsidiaries operating in the illegal settlements. "The Minister could also use Ireland’s well-known influence with the White House to encourage the Obama administration to re-engage alongside Europe, in pushing for the restarting of negotiations. He could follow-up these initiatives by encouraging other EU states to do likewise. ENDS Contact Proinsias De Rossa 087-254-4644
www.labour.ie/press EDITORS’ NOTE: The photographic exhibition 'Defending Hope in Gaza' is being launched today (6.30pm) at 'Filmbase', Curved St., Temple Bar, Dublin 2 by Mary Lalor of Frontline, Khalil Shaneen of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and Proinsias De Rossa MEP, Chair of the European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council. www.derossa.com www.frontlinedefenders.org