Sir, – Reports emanating from Irish activists on the Global Sumud Flotilla are troubling (“Irish flotilla activist claims she was cable-tied”, Home News, May 5th).
It appears that the interception was conducted with the aggression familiar to anyone who has experienced Israeli forces in action. Moreover, as well as hijacking the solidarity boats in international waters more than 900km from Israel, two of the seized human rights activists – a Palestinian and a Brazilian – were subsequently transferred to Israel on the other side of the Mediterranean Sea.
This is all deeply unacceptable and it is important that governments internationally – including our own – forcefully condemn this Israeli operation and call for the immediate release of those taken to Israel. However, what happened to the flotilla is but a very faint reflection of the violence and oppression that persists in Gaza and the West Bank.
Indeed, it is crucial that the eyes of the world remain fixed on Palestine. The death toll in Gaza is now roughly 72,312, while more than 1,000 more Palestinians have been slaughtered in the West Bank since October 2023. These killings have become almost routine, despite the so-called ceasefire, and Israel has in effect ethnically cleansed much of Gaza, with about 64 per cent of that Palestinian region now under Israeli military control. Illegal Israeli settlements also continue to expand in the West Bank.
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In this context, it is profoundly disappointing that the Irish Government has still not moved forward with the Occupied Territories Bill or with other sanctions against Israel. Likewise, the European Union has refused to suspend any part of the EU-Israel Association Agreement that provides Israel with favourable terms of trade. In truth, it is scarcely surprising that Israeli military forces believe they can act with impunity wherever they please, even off the coast of Greece. – Yours, etc,
FINTAN LANE,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – I am writing to share an observation on the media’s decision to devote extensive coverage to reports of a rat infestation and Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, while the plight of 680,000 Palestinian children living in rodent-infested displacement camps in Gaza has barely got a mention.
Across Gaza’s makeshift camps, rats are chewing through tents and contaminating already scarce food supplies. Some 1.4 million people are living in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions after more than two years of relentless bombardment has decimated Gaza’s water, waste and health systems. As the weather heats, these conditions create a breeding ground for rodent-borne diseases.
Parents have told us that they’re scared to sleep at night in case their children are bitten by rats, and the Israeli military blockade of aid has left families unable to access pesticides, relying instead on sticks and adhesive tape to protect their families.
Unfolding public health emergencies undoubtedly merit media coverage, particularly with Irish citizens impacted. However, the urgency of this reporting offers a stark contrast to the relative quiet surrounding the latest dehumanising conditions in Gaza. This imbalance raises difficult questions about whose suffering is deemed newsworthy, and whose is normalised.
Media attention shapes public awareness. These editorial decisions matter. – Yours, etc,
MOLLY BRADY-MARTIN,
Senior advocacy and partnership manager,
Save the Children,
Belfast.
