In fact, the president of the Israeli Basketball Association acknowledged the women’s basketball team’s ties to the Israeli military, acknowledging that they participated “in many activities and events across the country in cooperation with them.”
Soldiers who displayed assault rifles were also invited to a training session ahead of the European Championship qualifier against Ireland.
In addition, one member of the team, Dr Searle, publicly accused the Irish of being “quite anti-Semitic”, perhaps due to widespread unrest in the country over the treatment of Palestinians. Seem.
Unfortunately, this is an accusation that is now being deployed on an almost daily basis to silence legitimate criticism of Israel. Anti-Semitism is a real problem in the world and should not be confused with condemnation of the state of Israel due to human rights concerns.
Is Basketball Ireland paying attention? Do they really think it was appropriate to force a match against Israel? What message did it send to those suffering in Gaza? Perhaps a little more reflection might be helpful in the future.
Fintan Lane, Lucan, Dublin
It’s time for the government to impose sanctions before more children are killed.
Last Tuesday, I wrote about six-year-old Hind, who was shot dead by Israeli forces in Gaza and locked in a car with the bodies of his family. (“We must ask why the lives of children in Gaza are not valued.” letter, February 6). After her 15-year-old cousin Rayan was shot while on the phone with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), they managed to get Hind on the phone and remained on the phone for three hours to comfort her. Hind asked PRCS to rescue her, saying, “I’m very scared, so please come.”
PRCS, in coordination with Israeli authorities, dispatched two paramedics to rescue Hind. Twelve days later, on Saturday, February 10, an ambulance was found bombed in Gaza City’s Tal al-Hawa district, killing two of its crew members, Yusuf Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun. . Hind’s body was also discovered.
The last hours of this girl’s life are unimaginable. Alone, scared, in the dark, surrounded by her deceased girlfriend’s family. Her cruelty cannot be expressed in words.
Hind is one of more than 11,500 Palestinian children killed by Israel in Gaza since October 7. And just as we know her name, we should know the names of all the children who were killed and mourn for each one of them.
And we must demand that no more children be killed or hurt, and that no more families be torn apart.
We must finally sanction Israel, protect the Palestinian people, uphold our responsibilities under the UN Genocide Convention, and do everything in our power to prevent further atrocities in Gaza, especially now that the Israeli government threatens 1.2 million people. We should demand that the government do its best. The people of Rafah are carrying out ethnic cleansing. There are no excuses. If we continue to do nothing every day, stories like Hind’s will increase.
Zoe Lawlor, Chair of the Ireland-Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, Dublin 1
Donald Trump is pulling immigration strings for his own political gain
It is almost inconceivable that Ronald Reagan’s party could reject the comprehensive border and immigration reforms it has been demanding for months and used support from Ukraine to achieve. Russia’s unprovoked and brutal onslaught risks defeating this newly democratic ally.
This betrayal will also perpetuate the illegal immigration epidemic, cartel infiltration, and the ongoing fentanyl crisis that is tearing at the fabric of American society. A failed president, a friend of dictators and Nazis, a pathological liar, a convicted fraudster, a legally recognized perpetrator of sexual assault, and so on. Donald Trump, a narcissistic orange-skinned buffoon, instigated this Machiavellian maneuver solely for partisan political purposes. .
Trump and most Republicans in Congress have betrayed the national interest to get Joe Biden to campaign on this issue, rather than handing him a political victory to fix our broken immigration system. . In doing so, President Trump showed himself to be a traitor. This is an accusation he has previously made against whistleblower Edward Snowden and General Mark Milley, implying that traitors should be executed.
But while both men acted conscientiously and in the best interests of the United States, Mr. Trump did not, never will, and never will. If he were to regain the White House, he would pardon himself and commit the greatest sin in doing so.
R Healy, Muller, Co Cavan
The arsonists need to come to their senses and realize that this country is not “full”.
When I was young, council houses built for Irish people were likely to have their windows broken if it was feared that a family with tuberculosis would be given the home. As if that would push them away.
In this context, fear was a foolish emotion, just like the fear of burning down a building that could give people in need a roof over their heads.
Those in charge must find a way to come back to their senses and think of the children around the world who are suffering like in Gaza. What we need is more accommodation built because Ireland is not full. These “patriotic” criminals need to realize that this is not a crisis and use basic decency and humanity.
Robert Sullivan, Bantry, Co Cork
What’s your name?Naming a baby turns out to be a harder task than you think
I mention the woman who asks Katie Byrne for advice on naming her new baby (“My husband wants to name our first son after his father, but I don’t like the name at all”). there is no”, LifestyleFebruary 9th). I once faced a similar dilemma. Her wife suggested the name Tony. I objected to this and pointed out that Tom, Dick, and Harry are all named Tony.
Noel Kelly, Doonbeg, County Clare
Traffic in Dublin may ease over the summer, but the mood is set to heat up.
There may be no cross-town traffic through Dublin from August onwards, but there will definitely be plenty of cross-drivers.
Peter Declan O’Halloran, Belturbet, County Cavan