Sir, – With the announcement by Israel that that country will close its embassy, we can see where this State’s unhinged obsession with Israel has led us. While the embassies of dictatorships and tyrannies remain open here, that of the Middle East’s only democratic state is to close. A day of shame for this country, and a decision that reflects terribly on our political class. – Yours, etc,
PAUL WILLIAMS,
Kilkee,
Co Clare.
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Sir, – In years to come, it will be considered a badge of honour that Israel, under the Netanyahu government, closed its embassy here. – Yours, etc,
DAVID CURRAN,
Knocknacarra,
Galway.
Sir, – I visited Israel in 1971 for the first time. Since Ireland did not recognise Israel then, I had to go to the embassy in London to obtain a visa.
Since then, Israel has continued to be a flourishing democracy, unlike its opponents, which are governed by brutal regimes. – Yours, etc,
TOM HEALY,
Ontario,
Canada.
Sir, – In a fit of pique, the Israeli government has decided to close its embassy in Dublin due to the Irish Government’s reasonable and measured stance on Israel’s ongoing destruction of Gaza and its people, and the treatment of Palestinians on the West Bank. Compare this to how the unfortunate Palestinians must feel about being continually harassed and blown to oblivion. It would be unbelievable except we see it day after day. – Yours, etc,
PÁDRAIG KIERNAN,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – Following relentless media criticism and regular public protest over the conflict in Gaza, the Israeli embassy has closed.
Following little media criticism and no protest over its role in the same conflict, the Iranian embassy remains open.
As for the role of the Gazan government, the marches speak for themselves. – Yours, etc,
EUGENE TANNAM,
Firhouse,
Dublin 24.
Sir, – As Taoiseach Simon Harris rightly said, “Ireland is pro-peace, pro-human rights and pro-international law”. If that position is anti-Israel or crosses a red line with the Israeli government, so be it. I, for one, can live with that. – Yours, etc,
AIDAN RODDY,
Cabinteely,
Dublin 18.
Sir, – The type of tyrants and dictators thrown up in modern times in Iraq, Iran, Syria and other states in that region is without parallel in the civilised world.
Public executions, limb amputations as punishments for crime, and floggings, not to mention abject denial of basic human rights for whole sections of their communities, go unremarked by Simon Harris in spite of his concerns elsewhere. The silence is deafening. Our President sends “warm greetings” to the Iranian president while lecturing Israel.
The one and only democracy in the entire Middle East is singled out time and again for specific mention.
No wonder Israel has brought down the shutters. Not before time either. – Yours, etc,
ENA KEYE,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – Several months have passed since Ireland recognised Palestine as a state. Could the Taoiseach or Tánaiste please tell us how much impact this decision has had on attempts to reach a two-state solution, deliver a ceasefire in Gaza, or secure the release of the Israeli hostages?
In the absence of any progress, or prospect of progress in these areas, is it time to acknowledge this as the worst Irish foreign policy decision since de Valera offered condolences on the death of Hitler? – Yours, etc,
MARK HAYDEN,
Sauvian,
France.
Sir, – When commenting on the closure of Israel’s embassy in Dublin, the Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said that “Ireland has crossed every red line in its relations with Israel”.
This is clearly an incongruent statement from a state currently engaged in what Amnesty International recently described as an active genocide. It is a remarkable claim, also, from a state whose agents in January 2010 used forged Irish passports when they carried out the assassination, in breach of international law, of Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai. Australian and British passports were similarly abused and, as a consequence, Israeli diplomats were temporarily expelled from all three countries.
Micheál Martin, then minister for foreign affairs, ordered the expulsion of a minor Israeli official from the Dublin embassy in June that year. Arguably, considering the seriousness of the matter, it is the ambassador who should have been told to go.
It is an incident worth remembering when Israel accuses Ireland of crossing red lines in speaking up for international humanitarian law and in defence of the civilians of Gaza. Israel has always had an odd attitude to diplomatic relations and very little respect for international law.
Palestinians have been killed in their tens of thousands in Gaza and it seems increasingly likely that this pitiless war will carry on into 2025. Israel’s demand of Ireland, and of the rest of the world, in effect is that we should close our eyes to the slaughter and to the daily images of injured and terrified children.
Government figures, while defending Ireland’s stance on Palestine and international law, have said that it is regrettable that Israel is removing its embassy from Dublin. Personally, I do not share that sense of regret, and I suspect I am not alone in feeling that its departure is a positive development. – Yours, etc,
FINTAN LANE,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.
Electing the Ceann Comhairle
Sir, – It is not for the first time that the election of the Ceann Comhairle has become embroiled in speculation concerning the formation of a government in a new Dáil following a general election.
In a majoritarian parliament, where commanding a majority allows a government to be nominated and stay in office, the numbers game is paramount. The Ceann Comhairle has only a casting vote in the event of a tied vote in the Dáil and means that, whichever party or group they belonged to, their voting strength is reduced by one. While from the early days of the State there was continuity in office from the 1930s through to 1973, the outgoing Ceann Comhairle was re-elected to the chair. In 1973, party politics intervened and Fianna Fáil, going into opposition, withdrew the outgoing Ceann Comhairle Cormac Breslin from the chair, thereby reducing the incoming government’s majority by one. Since then up to 2016, when election results were very tight between the main parties, the office of Ceann Comhairle was somewhat of a poisoned chalice, with no major party willing to put a candidate forward. In 1981, for example, Dr John O’Connell, an Independent at that time, reluctantly took the chair at the 11th hour, to allow the Dáil to proceed to nominate a government.
The introduction of the nomination for election for Ceann Comhairle by secret ballot in 2016 was regarded as a step in recognising the independence of the office which would be decided by members of the new Dáil and thus theoretically more removed from the influence of the incoming government. However, parties or groups are still the kingmakers; for example Seán Ó Fearghaíl was nominated by Fianna Fáil prior to being elected in 2016.
Similarly, on this occasion, Sinn Féin has nominated Aengus Ó Snodaigh, and it is likely that the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party will decide on their nomination before the Dáil meets. Thus a member without the prior backing of their party or group does not have a reasonable chance of success of being nominated. However, given the secret ballot, political opportunism can still play a major part and opposition parties or groups may vote for a member from a government party to reduce the government majority by one.
The secret ballot is a step in the right direction to enhance the independence of the Ceann Comhairle but, as evidenced by the current speculation surrounding the numbers and composition of a new government, it has not been removed from political manoeuvrings concerning the formation of a new government. The weakness in the system is that the election of a Ceann Comhairle takes place at the start of a new Dáil when a government is being formed and inevitably it becomes embroiled in party political machinations. A possible solution would be to have the election of Ceann Comhairle take place mid-term in the life of a Dáil. Thus the outgoing Ceann Comhairle would continue in office in a new Dáil until mid-term. By allowing the Ceann Comhairle to continue in office would also be a better fit in terms of the democratic process, whereby the automatic election of the outgoing Ceann Comhairle at a subsequent general election has effectively been abused by parties since 1973 and has had a disproportionate effect on a general election in the relevant constituency. – Yours, etc,
KIERAN COUGHLAN,
(Former clerk of the Dáil),
Dublin 18.
Cultural imperialism?
A chara, – Mark O’Connell writes (“This woman went viral. You won’t believe what happened next – except, of course you will” (Opinion & Analysis, December 14th) an engaging and entertaining piece on the arc of the career of the “Hawk Tuah girl”. In his conclusion, he states: “Our society is so heavily marketised and commodified, our culture so radically atomised, that it feels deliriously appropriate that everyone should now have the ability to issue their own personal currency.”
This would be a very valid point to make if the readers of The Irish Times were Americans. But we aren’t. We are usually Irish, and “our society” is Irish society.
It is one that is still thankfully different from American society, however difficult to accept that may be for some of the tech bros and others living in wealthier parts of Dublin.
I would suggest that Mark O’Connell pay a visit to his local GAA club or Tidy Towns group, full of amateur volunteers dedicated to their community, and read up on the definition of cultural imperialism, before his next article on “our society”. – Is mise,
CÓNÁN Ó BROIN,
Ráth Cúil,
Co Átha Cliath.
Queuing for food parcels
Sir, – Jennifer O’Connell takes Ibec chief Danny McCoy to task for his challenging the use of the word “crisis” to describe the soaring cost of living. In doing so, she contrasts the plight of a poor woman queuing for a food parcel at the Capuchin Day Centre and her wealthy counterpart shopping for a €4,900 Bottega Veneta leather handbag in Brown Thomas (“Amid huge wealth, people queue for food parcels”, Opinion & Analysis, December 14th).
Between these extremes rest the bulk of the population, beloved of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, the “squeezed middle”. They are the ones who enjoy the security of record savings and multiple sun holidays, as mentioned by Jennifer, together with home ownership, private health insurance, expensive tickets to every rock concert that comes to town and other signs of wealth.
The “squeezed middle” do not need to be showered with a contribution to their energy bills, the double child benefit allowance and other pre-2024 election sweeteners. The “squeezed middle” are doing just fine, but, of course they vote in elections, hence these favours.
Fine Gael have long since discarded their historic commitment to the Just Society of Declan Costello and Garret FitzGerald; Fianna Fáil, always the pragmatists, will give people what they want in the short term instead of what they really need: and both parties are now “playing government-formation footsie” with a group of Independents, led by the discredited Michael Lowry (“FF needs to explain why it can’t talk to SF if it will talk to Lowry”, Justine McCarthy, Opinion & Analysis, December 13th), whose only interest will be bringing home the bacon to their constituencies.
The programme for government that emerges from current negotiations will determine whether cute politics will trump good government for another five years. – Yours, etc,
EDDIE MOLLOY,
Rathgar,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – With thousands queuing for tickets for food parcels (Chris Maddaloni, Photograph, Front Page, December 12th), representing the many thousands queuing at many centres across this country, our politicians and comfortable citizens have no sense of outrage. These many thousands represent a fraction of citizens requiring food charity as each recipient represents a number of family members. It is insufficient and irresponsible to support charities that provide these food parcels and more important that all are enabled to have sufficient food. The programme for the future government must contain policy ensuring that no one needs to queue for food. – Yours, etc,
HUGH McDERMOTT,
Dromahair,
Co Leitrim.
Charity shops and designer jackets
A chara, – I was a little bemused by Sarah Butler’s contention (Letters, December 16th) that a charity shop’s having a designer jacket priced at €80 “contravened [charity] principles” and showed “avarice”.
The charitable impulse of the person who donated the jacket is to be lauded. But what is the shop to do? Price the item down and have the lucky purchaser sell it for a profit on the internet? Or price it realistically and bring in doubtless much-needed funds for the charity? – Is mise,
TERRY WALSH
Cartagena,
Murcia,
Spain.
Ralph Fiennes and memory lane
Sir, – Well-done to Ralph Fiennes for memorising all of TS Eliot’s Four Quartets (“Ralph Fiennes at the Abbey Theatre: An electrifying, moving reading of TS Eliot’s Four Quartets”, Online, Stage, December 15th).
However, the entire poem is much longer than “about 100 lines”, as you state. The grand total is 878 lines, by my count: Burnt Norton (175), East Coker (208), The Dry Salvages (233), and Little Gidding (262). – Yours, etc,
DENIS COTTER,
Middleburg,
Virginia, US.
The divisive Brussels sprout
Sir, – Perhaps Dr Maria O’Brien’s defence of the divisive Brussels sprout (Letters, December 14th) might have been better placed in tandem with Conor Leonard’s “After-effects of the Greens”? – Yours, etc,
AM LOOMES,
Dublin 15.