Expel Israeli Ambassador - Irish Nobel Laureate

[Seosamh]

http://seosamhsonar.blogspot.com/2010/06/expel-israeli-ambassador-irish-nobel.html

Nobel Peace Laureate, Mairéad Maguire Corrigan, added her voice to the growing number of Irish citizens calling for the Irish government to expel the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland, Dr Zion Evrony.

Ms Corrigan was speaking yesterday in the Long Gallery of the Northern Ireland Assembly, at a meeting hosted by independent members of the Assembly, Gerry McHugh, and Dr Kieran Deeney.

Speaking to an audience of Assembly members, staffers, opponents of the Gaza blockade, and local press, Ms Corrigan reminded the audience that despite the fact that she and her fellow peace activists had been released, the humanitarian aid that was seized by Israeli armed forces, remained on board the peace flotilla vessels in the Israeli port of Ashdod. Personal property of the activists, including laptops, camera equipment, and other valuables worth thousands of Euros were also confiscated. She described the seizure of the Irish vessel in international waters an act of piracy by the State of Israel.

Ms Corrigan called for an independent inquiry into the killing of the Turkish humanitarian aid workers by Israeli commandos aboard the Turkish ship, the Mavi Mamara. She said that her feeling was that the inquiry set up by the Israeli government into the killings, would not be acceptable to the Turkish government and people. A former member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Lord Trimble, will serve on the Israeli inquiry team.

Ms Corrigan also called for the special trading status accorded to the state of Israel by the EU to be rescinded.