Allister stoutly defends Israel in Strasbourg
10 March 2008
Note: To watch a video of the speech click on the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTQk6ur2TwI .
Traditional Unionist MEP Jim Allister has been speaking in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on the renewed violence in the Middle East.
During a debate on the situation in Gaza, initiated by an emergency statement by the Parliament President and restricted to one speaker from each political group, Jim Allister, speaking on behalf of the non-attached members, stoutly defended Israel and its right to defend itself from terrorist rocket attacks.
In the course of his remarks Mr Allister said:-
Jim Allister (NI). – Mr President, I can readily join in deploring the recent events in Gaza and the Middle East and in remarking on how terrible is the humanitarian tragedy there and the immense suffering that all sides are being subjected to. But I have to draw a distinction between the orchestrated, constant, repeated attacks upon the State of Israel and the right of that State to defend itself. It is an internationally recognised state. It recognises and accepts a two-state solution in the Middle East, and yet it is constantly, persistently and viciously subjected to the most horrendous violence from across its borders, particularly from Hamas-controlled territory.
I therefore make no apology, from my perspective, of saying that Israel does have the right, indeed the necessity, to defend itself and to act against those who, beyond reason and argument, will not even make the most basic concession of accepting the right of Israel to exist.
We hear much talk in this debate and elsewhere about a balanced and even-handed approach. There is nothing even-handed in equating, no matter how justified they are, the political demands of Gaza with the vicious and repeated terrorist attacks on Israel as epitomised by the attack on the school. There is nothing even-handed in equivocating over Hamas’s refusal to recognise Israel and then demanding that no walls, no defensive action should be taken by the state that is not even recognised. It is a consequence of that failure to recognise the right of Israel to exist which has bred so much of the trouble and turmoil in the Middle East."
