The Workers Party of Ireland condemns today’s murderous attacks on Palestinian civilians by the Israeli state. At present, sources suggest that at least 55 Palestinians have been killed and 2,400 wounded by Israeli forces, on what has been described as the deadliest day of violence since the 2014 attacks on Gaza.

Today’s events, which have taken place on the occasion of the hostile and provocative opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem, are but a continuing demonstration of Israeli contempt for the lives of Palestinians, following a pattern of massacres from Deir Yassin in 1948, through Qibya, Nahalin and Kufr Kassem in the 1950s, Samu and other villages in the 1960s and 70s and Sabra and Shatila in 1982 together with a systematic campaign of terror against Gaza in recent years and the killing and injuring of Palestinians during and after the recent March 30th protests. These attacks reflect a desire to assert complete control over Palestinian people and territory and represent a brazen rebuff to any semblance of a peace process. However, despite repeated human rights violations against Palestinians, the Israeli state has gone unpunished.

Israel, assisted by the US and its allies, has repeatedly rejected all constructive efforts to secure a lasting settlement based on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, blocking any move towards the creation of an independent Palestinian state and devising a series of bogus schemes to deny Palestinians and their representatives a voice in their future.

The United Nations and its member states must insist on the implementation of UN General Assembly Resolutions on Palestine and take resolute action against Israel to protect Palestinian lives and property.

The Workers Party of Ireland calls on all its members to participate in demonstrations against this latest outrage, to contact public representatives demanding action and to increase their solidarity efforts and activities with the Palestinian people, including the campaign in support of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement.

As a minimum requirement, the Workers Party demands that the Irish and UK governments, which recently expelled Russian diplomats without any evidence of wrongdoing, must immediately expel the Israeli Ambassador from Ireland and the UK and impose sanctions against Israel to demonstrate that the people will no longer tolerate these murderous attacks.

We stand with the Palestinian people in their struggle for their legitimate rights, including the right to self-determination and the establishment of a free, independent and sovereign state of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital.

Gerry Grainger

International Secretary

Workers Party of Ireland