Comments made by Israeli Ambassador to UN disgraceful
Issued : Monday 31 July, 2006
Labour Party President and Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Michael D Higgins has said that the comments made by the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Mr Dan Gillerman, in New York this week are highly disturbing and revealing of the mindset of the Israeli government.
Deputy Higgins said:” The comments made by Mr Gillerman as they were reported raise serious issues, and have gone further than comparable remarks made by previous ambassadors to the United Nations.
“A reference to the action taken by General Secretary Kofi Annan to publicise the fact that those UN officers stationed at the Unifil site in South Lebanon which was shelled by the Israeli army in the last week as reckless and irresponsible is shameful.
“It is clear that the Secretary General had a moral obligation to let the public know that the outpost had sent many signals that it was in danger. All outside experts questioned on the matter have commented that it would be a miracle for this attack to have been an accident.
“Ambassador Gillerman also raised questions over the presence of Unifil in Lebanon over the last 28 years. His suggestion that the length of time that the UN-mandated force was present in Lebanon had somehow led to it becoming too close to Hezbollah, and that this could be given as a reason for attacks, is particularly unworthy.
Ireland has a proud record of peacekeeping in Lebanon, and the ambassador’s statement, which calls into question the integrity of our soldiers who have been active in Lebanon, demands a response from our government. I urge Dermot Ahern to make clear the government’s position and to make clear Ireland’s abhorrence of the statements made by the Israeli ambassador to the UN over the last week.”
