- Pringle: We need a policy that recognises the importance of inshore fishing
- Pringle: Disabled people and carers face crisis of State neglect
- Pringle: Failed FF/FG housing policies forcing people to put their lives on hold
- Pringle welcomes Donegal council motion on Occupied Territories Bill: ‘We cannot stand by in the face of genocide’
Pringle condemns European Council expression of ‘full solidarity and support’ for Israel
- Updated: 11th July 2024
Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, has condemned the European Council’s expression of “full solidarity and support” for Israel, saying the people of Gaza must feel abandoned by the EU and the international community.
He also called the Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil decision to support European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen “despicable”.
Addressing the Dáil on Wednesday, Deputy Pringle said: “It was shocking to see the European Council ‘express its full solidarity and support to Israel and its people’ and ‘reaffirm its full commitment to its security and to regional stability’, despite the fact that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, despite the fact that Israel shows complete disregard for international law and despite the fact that UN experts have said Israel is carrying out a ‘targeted starvation campaign’ in Gaza.
“How can the European Council continue to support this brutal Zionist regime while it carries out the complete destruction of a state and its people? The people of Gaza must look in disgust at the European Union and its so called ‘values’ of peace, human rights and human dignity.
“They must feel completely abandoned by the European Union and the international community.
“And they are right, they have been. It is an absolute disgrace,” he said.
The deputy was speaking during Statements on post-European Council meeting of 27th-28th June.
Deputy Pringle said: “The European Union and America have no right to lecture anyone on human rights, not when they continue to facilitate this genocide. The EU and US continue to provide weapons and diplomatic cover to Israel while it illegally occupies Palestine.
“And despite shocking levels of bloodshed, violence and devastation, the European Council in its most recent meeting, expressed its support of Israel and then, to add insult to injury, proposed Ursula von der Leyen to the European Parliament as a candidate for President of the European Commission, a woman who is complicit in the genocide of the Palestinian people.
“When Israel initiated collective punishment against the people of Gaza and when the Israeli Defence Minister stated: ‘I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed,’ von der Leyen flew straight to his and Netanyahu’s side in Israel.
“She does not represent the EU and she most certainly does not represent the people of Ireland.
“However, she does represent Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, and their decision to support her is despicable and I believe that the Irish people will not forget such a deplorable action,” he said.
