A vigil to remember those in Gaza

A vigil took place in Cavan’s town square on Sunday evening (October 6) to mark one year since the most recent conflict between Israel and Palestine began.

The event was organised by the Cavan branch of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, members of which were present passing out candles as a symbol of remembrance.

Cavan IPSC member Megan De Siún said the event was organised to “share in a sense of collective mourning for the people who have lost their lives over the past year".

Speaking at the event, Sinn Fein TD Pauline Tully said she was “shocked and saddened" to be here again a year on.

“On the 7th of October last year, we know Hamas went in, they attacked Israel, 1200 people were killed, 250 hostages taken.

“It shouldn’t have happened,” she outlined.

“The response by Israel has been disproportionate and indiscriminate in the year since. “We have over 42,000 people dead as a result of the conflict, over 30% of those people are children.

“Israel have just gone in, they have bombed hospitals, they have bombed schools, they have bombed residential zones, they have bombed refugee camps,” said Deputy Tully, adding that media personnel, medics and humanitarian workers are among the dead.

“They have broken so many rules or war, they are guilty of innumerous war crimes and it needs to be called out.

“America in particular has to stand to blame side by side with Israel.“This is only the latest phase and probably the most bloody phase, but this war is going on for 76 years.

“America can’t say 'we’re seeking a diplomatic solution' on the one hand and then on the other hand be handing Israeli government weapons to use against the Palestinian people and now the Lebanese people.

“We know there are other European countries guilty of trading arms as well.”

“We need to see a ceasefire now,” she urged.

Cavan IPSC member Deirdre Brady called upon people to contact their local government representatives “to confirm whether the Irish government can assure that Irish airports and airspace are not being used to transfer weapons, tech or other logistical or tactical support to apartheid Israel".

She added: “We need to put this pressure on, we need to pass the arms embargo bill.

“Alongside the BDS movement we can all make a difference,” she said.The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions is a nonviolent Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel.

“There is an upcoming election and we need our voices heard. “We are not giving our vote to a party who for the last six years have delayed the Occupied Territories bill.”

The Control of Economic Activities (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018 is a piece of proposed legislation. If enacted, it would ban trade between Ireland and Israel’s illegal settlements in the West Bank.

Cllr Stiofán Conaty also spoke at the event, where he stated that Sinn Féin “have always stood with the people of Palestine and the people of the Palestinian nation".

“It’s unbelievable what has been allowed to happen.”

Speaking of the Irish people, he said: “we know it’s like to be downtrodden.

“We know what it’s like for a people to have been almost almost wiped off the planet and we will not stand idly by and allow it to happen to the Palestinian people.”