Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been banned from entering Cork city by the city's council.
At last night’s Cork City Council meeting, members agreed to ban Israel's Prime Minister, President, all members of the government and all ambassadors from setting foot in the city.
The motion, put forward by Cllr Peter Horgan, calls for the ban to remain in place “for as long as illegal occupation of Palestine and bordering countries continues and war crimes are being perpetrated by the Israeli State”.
It comes amid increasing international pressure on Israel to halt its assaults on Gaza and Lebanon, which have reportedly led to more than 40,000 deaths.
Speaking to Newstalk, Cllr Horgan said the proposal sought to "condemn the recent invasion of and the attacks by Israel into South Lebanon which included the firing on UNIFIL outposts."
National and International Campaign
He said he hoped to see the motion act as the start of a national and international campaign.
“I’m heartened by the support of the majority of the councillors present on the night," he said.
"I noted the concern of certain councillors regarding this, but there has to be a way that you can shame the devil.
He said the effects of the Cork motion are already taking hold.
"I was heartened last night, from colleagues in Galway City Council, to learn that they had actually followed suit on the Cork city proposal,” he said.
Track record
Cllr Horgan said the people of Cork have been marching in protest against the actions of Israel for over 52 weeks.
"We need to make sure then to keep the pressure on; to insist on a ceasefire, to insist that the continued killing of women and children and innocent civilians in Palestine and South Lebanon by the IDF, Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli forces is stopped," he said.
You saw the outpouring of frustration from the people of Cork last night in City Hall where they unfurled the Palestinian flag in the chamber," the Cllr added.
"We have a track record in Ireland of standing up to evil, of standing up on behalf of people who are downtrodden and we need to continue that track record.”
Cork city council meeting suspended as supporters of Palestine unfurl a flag during a motion on the occupied territories bill - motion to support was passed with abstention of Fianna Fáil. pic.twitter.com/1js3JTgM6b
— Cllr Peter Horgan (@horganp) October 14, 2024
Representing the people
Cllr Horgan said he believes the motion represents the people who elected him and who want to see a symbol of condemnation for Israel’s actions.
"It's a symbol," he said.
"We have to use the tools that are available to us as elected representatives and this was a tool that was available to me as a locally elected city councillor in Cork to submit a motion," he said.
"As was said by one of the councillors last night, ‘I don’t think Benjamin Netanyahu is coming to Cork’, and I’d say he will probably not even be aware of this motion – but if more cities come along and follow suit on this motion, perhaps then it’ll arrive in his inbox and he’ll be wondering, ‘Why am I banned from cities in Ireland?’
"He may not care.
“They’ve removed their ambassador from the state, they probably view Ireland as a hostile nation at this point but I think it’s important that for the people of Cork, their representatives spoke on their behalf last night and voiced their anger in the democratically elected forum and it passed," he said.
The move comes shortly after two people were arrested and charged for protesting American planes carrying weaponry to Israel entering Irish airspace at Shannon Airport.
National Demonstration for Palestine in Dublin, 31/08/2024. Image: Leon Farrell/© RollingNews.ie
