The Taoiseach has defended a decision not to describe the situation in Gaza as a “genocide” when meeting US President Donald Trump, arguing he had focused on the delivery of aid.
Micheál Martin met Mr Trump in Dublin and Clare during the 47th US President’s two-day visit to Ireland.
Speaking after the second encounter at the latter’s golf resort in Doonbeg, Co Clare, the Taoiseach said their first discussion had focused on “accelerating and getting more aid into Gaza” after Mr Trump’s peace plan for the region.
He said the US President had “undertook to do everything he possibly could to get aid into Gaza” after their meeting.
Mr Martin has previously said “the immense suffering of the Palestinian population in Gaza” could be “credibly described as a genocide”.
Asked if he used the word genocide in his discussions with Mr Trump, he told reporters: “No, I didn’t use that term specifically.”
Mr Martin said it was “unfair” to raise the point and said the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland had thanked him for mentioning limited aid access in Gaza during the engagement.
He said he had deliberately focused on aid as it was the priority for Palestinians living in Gaza and the US is “probably the key interlocutor” with Israel.
On not using the word genocide, he said: “This is again – the campaigners kind of trying to denigrate people unfairly.
“The issue is the peace plan happened, aid is not getting into Gaza – the peace plan has not been implemented.
“Our focus is now to get proper peace in Gaza, to get a civilian administration established which – in accordance with the peace plan – that Israel would move out of the way in terms of all of that happening.”
He added: “There are a lot of good bona fide people involved who want to really make a difference in respect of Gaza.”
Asked if he had changed his language for the meeting given he had used the word genocide before, Mr Martin said: “I haven’t changed my language. I haven’t changed my language at all in respect to the President – or in respect to that issue.
“I think that’s unfair, and I think that’s the opposition’s … and I think we should see it as the opposition, and it doesn’t hold water.”
Reflecting on his meeting with Mr Trump, Mr Martin said he the “key issue now for Palestinians” was that not enough aid is getting into Gaza.
He told reporters: “In fact, I would have I received a thank you message immediately afterwards from the Palestinian ambassador, in respect of raising the need for humanitarian aid to get into Gaza.
“It’s vital for the children of Gaza.”
He added: “We’ve raised it constantly across the European Union, and Europe hasn’t had the capacity to hold Israel to account.
“So I did deliberately focus in on the need to get aid, and he undertook, particularly in the context of any Irish aid, that it would get in.
“Now we’ll follow that through because that is the core issue for the two million people living there.
“And also the settlers, the terrorist settlers, in the West Bank, whose continuing activities on the West Bank are rendering unviable a two-state solution.”
Mr Martin, who has visited Gaza and the West Bank, said Ireland supports the Palestinian state.
“That’s what we want to create, and we now have to focus on doing that and trying to get momentum behind the peace process.”
He added: “We believe in a two-state solution.
“Ultimately, that will not happen if the settlements continue apace, and certainly in the violent manner that they are at the moment.
“His response was he undertook to do everything he possibly could to get aid into Gaza, and particularly any Irish contribution in respect of that.”
Mr Martin also said Ireland had intervened in the South African case in respect of genocide in Gaza.
“I think sometimes some in the opposition are more interested in the campaign to denigrate the Government’s position on Gaza rather than the substance of the issue itself.”
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