Stop arming Israel – and kick US out of Shannon
THE bombing of Yemen by the US and Britain is a dangerous escalation of the Israeli war on Gaza that will lead to further bloodshed and the killing of more civilians.
It is hard not to believe it is aimed to distract from America and Britain’s support for Israel’s war crimes in Gaza and the South African government’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
If US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is genuinely concerned about the number of civilians being slaughtered in Gaza, about the creation of a Palestinian state and about the disruption of merchant shipping in the Red Sea, as he claimed this week, then there is a simple solution. His government should stop arming Israel and he and Joe Biden should tell the Israeli government to stop its relentless bombardment of Gaza and to pull its military out.
If Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tánaiste Micheál Martin are genuinely concerned about the number of children being killed in Gaza there is also a simple solution. They should call in the US ambassador and request that her government stops arming Israel and notify her that they will cease the facility to the US military at Shannon, which should never have been allowed in the first place.
This is unlikely to happen, of course, as they are both acting like stooges of the US empire, cowering in fear that they will get a swipe of a stars and stripes flag should they dare express an independent, neutral foreign policy.
It is truly shameful. Ireland should be leading the way to bring the rogue state of Israel to account and get an immediate permanent ceasefire, massive humanitarian aid and UN protection for Palestinians, and help put a political process in place that addresses the decades-long, systematic suppression of the Palestinian people.
JIM ROCHE, Irish Anti-War Movement, Dublin 1.
...WE are supposed to be a neutral country, unlike the United States, Britain and other countries that are actively supporting the Israeli bombardment and ethnic cleansing and killings of tens of thousands of Palestinian people.
The US supplies Israel with its weapons, which makes it complicit in the mass murder of men, women and children in Gaza.
The Irish Government has been facilitating the United States’ military support for Israel by allowing aircraft associated with the US military to refuel at Shannon Airport and transit through Irish air space since October 7. That makes us complicit in Israel’s mass murder of the innocents. NOEL HARRINGTON,
Kinsale, Co. Cork.
Lock up puppy sellers
THERE are reports of an Airbnb owner having her property trashed by a puppy seller. This story of property damage is not unique but the accompanying photos of eight or more puppies in a small cage needs to be addressed.
There are so many problems in the world that seem difficult to solve, so it might be best to work on one, perhaps simpler, problem – animal cruelty. Perhaps surprisingly, animal cruelty punishments, including up to five years’ jail, can be more severe than property damage fines although the minimum penalties might not be much of a deterrent.
A new idea might be the use of an old punishment, an eye for an eye. Illegal puppy sellers should be put eight to a small cell hardly big enough to walk around. The sentence should also be eight times longer, as a dog year is the equivalent of eight human years.
Don’t contribute to the cruelty by buying off the internet: go to a rescue centre. DENNIS FITZGERALD,
Melbourne, Australia.
Don’t worry, be happy
TODAY, Monday, January 15, is Blue Monday. It’s reputed to be the most depressing day of the year due to inclement weather, dark evenings, overdrawn bank accounts, maxed-out credit cards, broken new year’s resolutions and the Christmas spirit fading fast.
The third Monday of January, we’re told, is the bluest day of the year and is associated with feelings of sadness, low motivation and lack of energy. It’s the day when we’re deeply feeling the blues.
But, of course, the concept of Blue Monday is a complete myth and fabrication. Yes, the return to routine after Christmas can be a bit of a downer but most of us take it in our stride and get on with it. Blue Monday was first inflicted on an unsuspecting public in January 2005 as a marketing gimmick by a UK travel company. It has grown legs ever since, disseminating a cock-and-bull story of doom and gloom.
So, don’t go singing the blues on Monday. Instead, meet the day with a spring in your step and joy in your heart. Don’t worry, be happy. Enjoy reconnecting with your work colleagues. Catch up with friends for a chat and a coffee. A brisk walk and a blast of winter sunshine will give you the energy to curb the blues.
Focus on the positives and embrace 2024 with anticipation and confidence as a year of boom and bloom. Bake that apple pie. Paint that picture. Enjoy that workout. Spring is in the air. Daylight is increasing. Be cheerful, optimistic, active and dismiss any thoughts of fictitious Blue Monday from your mind.
BILLY RYLE, Tralee, Co. Kerry.