Offaly Co Co receives letter from Israel's Ambassador about Gaza conflict

Offaly County Council recently received a letter from Dana Erlich, Israel's Ambassador in Ireland, and the matter was discussed during the local authority's February monthly meeting on Monday afternoon.

During the January meeting of the Council it was agreed to write a letter to Dana Erlich expressing the Council's “abhorrence at the slaughter of women and children in Gaza over the past hundred days.” The Council also demanded an immediate ceasefire.

During the January meeting the Councillors unanimously passed a motion by Cllr John Carroll which stated, “That this Council calls on our Government to use all its diplomatic influence to mobilise international support for an immediate and unilateral ceasefire in Gaza.”

The Israel Ambassador wrote her reply on January 26. The Ambassador began by stating that while she understood that many Irish people, including the members of Offaly Co Council, are troubled by this conflict, this was not a war that Israel started, nor was it a war that Israel sought.

She said she found it deeply upsetting and concerning that Offaly County Council would write to inform her of the Council's resolution and “choose not only to completely ignore the horrific atrocities that triggered this war, but also to seemingly disregard the lives of all victims of Hamas's barbaric acts.”

Ms Erlich said this “tragic and unwanted war” was the result of the horrific invasion, massacre, rape, torture and abduction of more than twelve hundred Israeli and other citizens in southern Israel that was perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, 2023. “Sadly, among the murdered and kidnapped were Irish citizens, Kim Damti and 8 year old Emily Hand, whose release was thankfully secured. Did your Council pass any resolution in relation to what they suffered?”

She pointed out that on October 7, Hamas also launched thousands of rockets, indiscriminately, at Israeli population centres with the intent of killing and maiming thousands more. Were it not for Israel's defensive measures and Iron Dome system, Hamas would have killed and maimed thousands more of Israel's population.

“Unlike Hamas,” Ms Erlich continued, “Israel does not deliberately target civilians but makes every effort to avoid casualties. The people of Gaza are not Israel's enemies but, as a multitude of evidence shows, Hamas uses them as human shields, embedding itself in the population and placing most of its military assets within or underneath civilian houses, malls, schools, mosques, and hospitals. Hamas intentionally positions its rocket launchers next to Palestinian civilians in the intention of drawing return fire. These are deliberate, horrible and calculated practices.”

She added that international law recognises that there are times when the use of force is a necessity, an obligation and the only available course of action. “As a sovereign nation, Israel has a duty, as does every state, not only to defend its people from attack but also to prevent atrocities happening again.

“I would also like to remind you that Israel evacuated Gaza entirely in 2005 in the hope that it would develop into a peaceful neighbour, but tragically for Israel and for most of Gaza's population, Hamas took over the territory in 2007 and has been exploiting it ever since as a platform to launch attacks on Israel.

“Hamas failed to invest in the welfare of the Gazan population and instead chose to abuse international aid by investing in terrorist infrastructure, such as its sophisticated tunnel network, tens of thousands of rockets and heavy weapons. All the while, it has created a culture of martyrdom and the glorification of suicide bombing and violence.

“As stated in the Hamas Charter of 1988, the organisation's aim is the destruction of Israel and it has demonstrated this intent in the thousands of rocket attacks against Israel over many years and in the savage and murderous attack it carried out just weeks ago.

“Peace, may it soon be upon us all, will only prevail when Hamas releases all of those kidnapped in Gaza and is prevented from carrying out its objectives.

“Kind regards, Dana.”

Cllr John Carroll told February's meeting that he wished to begin by first thanking Gerry Bruton of the Council Executive for writing the letter and relaying the Councillors' concerns to the Israeli Ambassador and others.
Cllr Carroll said Dana Erlich's letter was “not an acceptable response”, and it avoided some key facts.
He pointed out that the Councillors' concern was regarding the widespread and large-scale attacks on the Civilian population of Gaza resulting in the deaths of thousands of women and children.
He said Ms Erlich expected the Council to accept that “anything is justified in self defence because of the Hamas attack on October 7th which has itself been rightly condemned. However this conflict dates back to 1948 when 200,000 Palestinians were expelled to the Gaza Strip as refugees. Since then Israel has been involved in 15 wars against the Gaza Strip. Israel fought 4 wars against Egypt when they were administering the Strip, including border attacks between 1949 and 1956 including occupation during the Suez crisis and the capture of Gaza in the 1967 war.
“After two periods of low level insurgence by residents, the Oslo accord brought some calm. In 2005 Israel disengaged from Gaza, Hamas won the election in 2006 and took control in 2007. It was then that Israel imposed its land, air and sea blockade turning it into an open-air Prison. This blockade was seen as a collective punishment of the people for sporadic rocket attacks.”
Cllr Carroll pointed out that Israel invaded Gaza in 2008/9 resulting in over a thousand deaths and the destruction of schools, hospitals, and homes etc. A 2012 Israel operation in Gaza again saw the deaths of over 100 citizens and again in 2014 Israel invaded Gaza “in a major war leading to the deaths of 77 Israeli soldiers but over 2,250 Palastinians mostly civilians. That invasion resulted in unprecedented destruction, damaging 25% of homes in Gaza city. Between 2014 and 2023 the Gazan population continued to live in an open-air Prison, with access to food, water, medicine, jobs, dependant on the whims of an extreme right wing Government in Israel.
“Therefore, while the attack of October 7th is not defendable, it cannot be looked at in isolation, overlooking what has been inflicted on the Palestinian people over the previous 75 years.
“Today we ask our Government to intensify its efforts on the world stage to stop the slaughter of civilians in Gaza and ensure those responsible for war crimes committed in the region are brought before an International Court.
“I reject the response of the Israeli Ambassador but defending the indefensible is what we have come to expect.”
Cllr John Clendennen said the Council should also write to the Palestinian Ambassador in Ireland, Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, asking for the release of the remaining prisoners being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Cllr Carroll pointed out that it was proposed to write to the Palestinian Ambassador during the January meeting but the proposal wasn't seconded.
Cllr Clendennen said they should write to Dr Abdalmajid, “in the interest of impartiality.”
Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick, Cathaoirleach, pointed out that what every Councillor wants to see in the Gaza Strip is peace.