Richard Boyd Barrett: EU Failing on Human Rights and International Law
Richard Boyd Barrett challenged the Taoiseach over what he called a crisis in the EU's commitment to its own human rights legislation and international law. He criticised the newly elected Chancellor of Germany for inviting Benjamin Netanyahu despite an ICC arrest warrant and raised the deportation of an Irish MEP and other EU delegations from Israel.
The speaker told the Taoiseach there is a crisis in the EU's commitment to even its own human rights legislation and to international law, arguing this undermines the Union's ethical standing.
He said the newly elected Chancellor of Germany invited Benjamin Netanyahu, who he described as having an ICC arrest warrant for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, and argued that the invitation amounted to a two fingers to international law.
He noted that an Irish MEP and other MEPs on an EU delegation were deported from Israel during a pre-organised visit after criticising the Israeli government for genocide and war crimes, despite Israel's favoured trade status with the EU.
He explained that German politics has a distinct perspective on the Middle East because of its history, citing the former Chancellor Schultz's statement that the raison d'etre of modern Germany was to ensure the survival of Israel, and said that perspective helps explain German positions.
Allegation of EU crisis
The speaker told the Taoiseach there is a crisis in the EU's commitment to even its own human rights legislation and to international law, arguing this undermines the Union's ethical standing.
German invitation and international law
He said the newly elected Chancellor of Germany invited Benjamin Netanyahu, who he described as having an ICC arrest warrant for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, and argued that the invitation amounted to a two fingers to international law.
Deportation of EU delegation
He noted that an Irish MEP and other MEPs on an EU delegation were deported from Israel during a pre-organised visit after criticising the Israeli government for genocide and war crimes, despite Israel's favoured trade status with the EU.
German political context
He explained that German politics has a distinct perspective on the Middle East because of its history, citing the former Chancellor Schultz's statement that the raison d'etre of modern Germany was to ensure the survival of Israel, and said that perspective helps explain German positions.
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Transcript
Taoiseach, there is a crisis it seems to me in terms of the EU and its commitment to even its own human rights legislation and its commitment to international law. The newly elected Chancellor of Germany has invited Benjamin Netanyahu, somebody who has an arrest warrant out for him by the ICC for genocide, for war crimes, crimes against humanity and the new German Chancellor is inviting him to Germany. Now that's very serious because it's one of the biggest countries, one of the most important countries in the EU and basically what they're saying is we don't give a damn about international law, don't give a damn about human rights, we don't give a damn about the crimes that the ICC has indicted Benjamin Netanyahu for him, two fingers to international law. That poses a pretty serious problem doesn't it for the EU or the fact that an Irish MEP and other MEPs on an EU delegation have been deported on a pre organised visit by representatives of the EU to Israel and they have been deported. This is, Israel is given favoured trade status by the EU and then an EU delegation goes to Israel and they are not allowed in and they are deported because they criticise the Israeli government for genocide and for war crimes and crimes against humanity. I mean would you agree with me Taoiseach that this is a pretty serious crisis in terms of the foreign policy, the ethical stand, the commitment to human rights and international law facing the European Union. Have you any comments Taoiseach? There has been different perspectives across the European Union to put it mildly in respect to the Middle East and Germany because of its history and because of the show on the Holocaust has always had a different perspective on the Middle East and many find, even including people in Ireland, find that difficult to comprehend but that is the reality and it's the reality in German politics irrespective of what political party people represent, by and large and I wasn't aware that he had invited Prime Minister Netanyahu but it wouldn't surprise me given the engagement between the German political system and the issue. I know but I am just saying to you the realities in terms of German politics are such that there has always been that sense, I mean the former Chancellor Schultz said the raison d'etre of new Germany, modern Germany, post-war Germany was to ensure the survival of Israel, that's what Chancellor Schultz would have said time and time again and he is not the first German politician to say that. I only say that by way of enlightenment or letting people, that's what people see it from their perspective.