SLIGO REJECTS ISRAELI INVITATION

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday February 18, 2003 14:42 by B. Scanlon - Sligo/Leitrim Labour Party laboursligo at eircom dot net 071-45490

At its meeting on Monday 17th February, the members of Sligo Borough Council, by a narrow majority, voted to reject an intvitation from the 'Mayor' of Jerusalem to participate in the 'Conference of Mayors' to take place in Jerusalem from 30th March to 5th April.

A motion put forward by Labour representatives Alderman Declan Bree and Councillor Veronica Cawley, proposing that the Council respond to the invitation from the Mayor of Jerusalem to participate in the Conference of Mayors, by advising that it would participate in the Conference when Israel withdraws its occupation troops from the city and agrees to accept the resolutions of the UN, was carried by 4 votes to 3 with 3 members abstaining.

Sligo’s Fianna Fail Mayor, Tommy Cummins and two Fine Gael councillors voted against the motion

Proposing the Labour motion Alderman Declan Bree said “With reference to the invitation from the Israeli Embassy to what is described as the ‘Conference of Mayors’ to be held in Jerusalem from 30th March to 5th April, I believe that neither this Council nor indeed any Council in this country should have any association with the Conference.

I understand that the vast majority of cities and municipalities through-out the world boycott this annual event because it is recognised as nothing more than an attempt by the Israeli regime to justify its military occupation of Jerusalem and to justify its persecution of the native Palestinian people.

All of us will be aware from the Irish media that over the past number of years in particular, the population of the Israeli occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip have been subjected to ever more lethal attacks and more severe violations of their rights by the Israeli occupation forces.

Despite international pressure and numerous UN resolutions, all of which have been supported by Ireland, the Israeli regime continues to occupy Jerusalem and continues its campaign of terror against the Palestinian population.

And of course we in Sligo have every reason to remember that the same Israeli Army had no hesitation in killing members of our own Defence Forces who were serving the cause of world peace with the UN forces in the Lebanon.

Indeed only last week people in Sligo had the opportunity of hearing the human rights activist Caoimhe Butterly talk of her experiences in areas under Israeli occupation. A brave and courageous young Irish woman who bore witness to the suffering of the Palestinian people in Ramallah and Jenin, and who was shot by Israeli soldiers when she used her body to protect Palestinian children who were under fire.

I propose that this Council responds to the invitation by advising that we will participate in the Conference of Mayors in Jerusalem when Israel withdraws its occupation troops from the city and agrees to accept the resolutions of the UN.” said Alderman Bree