Our government has questions to answer on Gaza

THE Government’s decision to intervene in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is to be welcomed. However, the Government itself is not without blame in this matter.

South Africa initiated its genocide case against Israel in December 2023, and the ICJ issued its preliminary verdict on January 26 stating: ‘It is plausible that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The state of Israel must take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of genocide.’

Following on from these findings, the Genocide Convention 1948 obliges all states, including Ireland, to ‘take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of genocide’.

The US government and the US military have been actively supporting Israel in its military actions in Gaza since October 7, and this has continued since January 26. Up to 100 aircraft associated with the US military have transited through Shannon airport or Irish airspace since October 7 and have continued to do so since January 26. On March 27, as I write this letter, a US Navy C40A aircraft is at Shannon having arrived early this morning from Oceana US Naval Air Station.

The Government has questions to answer before the ICJ with regard to its failures to comply with the Genocide Convention. EDWARD HORGAN, Castletroy, Limerick.

US cooling on Ukraine

UKRAINE is undoubtedly going to be sold down the river as US interest in the conflict wanes, whatever narrative to the contrary is being disseminated by the Western mainstream media.

One is entitled to ask: what exactly did those 31,000 Ukrainian fighters and hundreds of thousands of civilians die for? P HENRICK, by email.

Rich getting richer

MANY global nations would do well to reflect on the question of how to balance human rights and economic interests.

Elementary human rights – the right to life, liberty and equality – are neither distinct from nor subject to economic interests.

The grotesquely widening gap between the top 1% and the rest of society, in particular the bottom 50%, is a condition that sets individual economic interests ahead of basic human rights.

It is hypocritical for democracies to lecture China on human rights as we accept homelessness and abject poverty in the face of obscene richness as a normal state of affairs. A democratic government that not only tolerates but exacerbates economic misery to benefit the few is no less in contempt of human rights than an autocratic government.

JOHN O’BRIEN, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.

Tip for Tesco

HERE’S an idea for Tesco after the legal row with Lidl about its clubcard logo. Why not drop the two-price gimmick and give all its customers one fair price?

Alan J. HUNT, by email

More GAA please

CONSIDERING the over-the-top coverage it has been getting in recent months, some people must think rugby is our national sport.

RTÉ certainly seems to be thinking along those lines as on Saturday last there were eight hours’ uninterrupted screening of three oval-ball games. After the showing of the France v Ireland Women’s Six Nations match, there were two URC games featuring Connacht and Leinster.

One wonders what percentage of people who follow sport in this country have an interest in such contests. It is pity RTÉ doesn’t concentrate more on GAA coverage and less on rugby. After all, hurling is our national sport.

JACK COOGAN, Navan, Co. Meath