Irish deputy PM calls on Israel to halt expansion of West Bank settlements

Benjamin Nethanyahu will be very upset when he hears that Gilmore is is on his case .After all isint he he the man who closed the Irish Embassy in the Vatican ,a major man on the worlds diplomatic stage !!!!

When will the United States government and its leaders grow the backbone to tell Benjamin Netanyahu to stand down? We have been/are sending Israel billions of dollars (3.07 billion in 2012) for weapons that are being used to obliterate the Palestinians. Over the last 20 years, the U.S. has been slowly phasing out economic aid to Israel and gradually replacing it with increased military aid and will continue to provide military aid at that level ($3.1 billion a year) through 2018. Palestine $0.00. We expect Netanyahu to guide this peace process, to promote decommissioning. Yet, activists who have attempted to bring medical supplies to Gaza have had their vessels fired upon in international waters, been stopped and have been detained in Israeli prisons. Mr. Netanyahu is using his leverage with the United States to drive the Palestinians into non-existence while the rest of the sentient world stands idly by gently castigating and sending him flaccid warnings. “The United States is directly supporting Israel at Gaza's expense.” (Causes for Concern, Irish Politics, Culture and Society by Michael D. Higgins, Liberties Press 2007)

Who on earth would take any notice of what Gobby Gilmore has to say? Surely Ireland can produce better than twits like him. For instance, Howlin? Eh, well, no. Maybe Ruairi Quinn? Eh, no, not really. Perhaps Enda? No, nobody's seen or heard of him for a week - what with the budget tomorrow and all that. Lucinda Creighton? Good Lord, spare us. Frances Fitzgerald? Eh, next please? Nope, it looks like we really have nobody.

israel is wrong,there will never be peace untill some semblance of recognition and justice is given to the people of palestine,stealing their land is disgusting.

Nicomax, correct. And I'm old enough to remember when Iraq captured Kuwait. Don't remember anyone saying that the Iraquis should keep what they had won on the battlefield!

Just because a country captures lands during a war does not mean they remain theirs forever. Otherwise most of Poland would be voting in Germany's national elections next year.

It is understandable why the right wing in Israel has always felt they had to push these provocative "Settlements"; expansionist governments from time immemorial have tried to cement their hold on lands they could not necessarily conquer and hold by naked military means by filling them with their own citizens. At a time when the majority of the world is making it clear that support for a "two state" settlement of the post 1948 "Palestinian Problem" requires good faith negotiation on both sides coupled with aid and support for the negotiating parties, these settlements are on a moral par with the extremists who are actively trying to disrupt the negotiations by firing missiles at Israel. Neither are acceptable - BOTH should bring consequences in the aid flowing from outside nations.

The new illegal settlements are incendiary and provocative and nothing more but a wedge between negotiations for peace and a two state solution. Same as the witholding of Palestinian funds, we can see who is interested in peace here and it does not seem like it is israel on any level, they want to keep the land they took by force in 1967

Hell. Those white people don't belong on the Middle East at all. Nothing but trouble since the creation of Zionism

Nice try, Eammonn - but the 'Issies' have already given the 'finger' to Uncle Sam ... so how much notice will they take of Paddy!

IS THAT ALL!? Ireland should be recalling its ambassador to Israel and sending the WHOLE of the 'Millionaire's row' Israelis back to Tel Aviv!