Flotilla video has ‘accelerated’ mood in EU for action against Israel – Martin
By Gráinne Ní Aodha, Press Association
The video of Israeli authorities’ treatment of flotilla protesters has “accelerated” the mood at EU level for action against Israel, Taoiseach has said.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said there was “a lot of anger” across the EU at the video of the Gaza aid flotilla protesters’ treatment, which he said had “shocked the world”.
He was speaking after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, after which he said Mr Macron “shared my concerns with the behaviour of Israel”.
The behaviour of a government minister from Israel has been absolutely shocking, and has shocked the world
In a video shared on social media, Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, is seen walking among some of the detainees and saying they should remain in prison for a long time.
The footage shows some people kneeling on the ground in tightly packed groups with their hands tied behind their backs.
The video and the detention of the flotilla participants has been condemned by senior Irish Government figures and across the European Union.
Speaking in Paris on Thursday afternoon, Martin said: “In terms of the most recent egregious behaviour and appalling and disgusting behaviour has been the treatment of those on the flotilla.
“First of all, they were abducted in international waters, the way they had been treated in captivity is unacceptable, and then the behaviour of a government minister from Israel has been absolutely shocking, and has shocked the world.
“But add to that, which is far worse in our view, is the failure to fulfil phase one of the peace agreement, in terms of getting really significant volumes of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and then the continuing violence, elimination and displacement of Palestinians on the West Bank, and then you add what’s happening in Lebanon in terms of displacement, in terms of reckless behaviour in respect of uniformed troops, and all of that really I think has angered a lot of European countries.
“So I think that the mood is changing. The precise mechanisms, if agreed on, or will be examined by Europe, remain to be determined.”
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He added: “Obviously the President will speak for himself, and President Macron will, but I think there is a shared concern there.
“I think there’s also a shared desire to move this on at European Union level, and so we will continue to engage on the matter and with other governments as well.”
Asked if the video had shifted the mood at EU level towards taking action against Israel, Martin said: “I think it has accelerated the momentum, and I think it’s created a lot of anger, because a lot of what you would have witnessed yesterday was not co-ordinated – individual prime ministers came out themselves in respect of their own citizens and in the context of what they witnessed on that video, so there’s this clear change in mood.”
Martin also said he had received “positive feedback” from his correspondence to European Council president Antonio Costa, and the matter will be on the agenda for the next council meeting.
Asked about the government’s proposed ban on importing goods from Israel, he said he did not believe a ban on services from Israel was “implementable or viable” and said “the advice we have on that is fairly solid”.
“Also, legally, it’s not within our capacity to do it,” he added.
