President Michael D Higgins has said it’s not "morally acceptable to be indifferent” to the suffering of the people of Gaza in a New Year’s Eve statement on peace in the Middle East.
In his statement, President Higgins called for a lasting ceasefire and talks to commence on a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel.
President Higgins also asked for reflection and how Ireland can help, with the international community, bring “lasting, meaningful peace” to the Middle East, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues into 2024.
"In order for 2024 to see the beginning of the process of recovery for all those who have been so devastated by the events of recent months, it is incumbent on all nations to redouble their efforts for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and to set about the tasks of achieving a lasting peace, one which can allow the Palestinian people to realise their rights alongside those of a secure Israel. It is not morally acceptable to be indifferent,” President Higgins said.
"As 2023 comes to an end and the world reflects on the horrific upsurge in violence in the Middle East over the final months of the year, it is important that we reflect on what steps the international community can take in order to help bring a lasting and meaningful peace to the region,” President Higgins said.
“More broadly, as we face into 2024, the greatest challenge facing the global community is an urgent choice between restoring the ethic of cooperation in diplomacy, or allowing the further expansion of an unaccountable military-industrial complex. This must not be allowed to dominate.
“The achievement of all of our main goals, as a global community - including tackling climate change, global hunger, inequality, forced migration, and stopping the destruction of our biodiversity - requires, more than ever before, cooperation between nations,” President Higgins said, adding that when “wars and conflicts become seemingly unending, humanity is the loser.”
President Higgins added that war is “not the natural condition of humanity, cooperation is. We cannot be indifferent as we watch daily the loss of life that is appearing on our screens.”
The conflict sparked protests across Ireland and the globe, which remain ongoing as well as the boycotting of companies and goods perceived to relate to the conflict.
But for President Higgins, 2024 brings an opportunity for “a two-state solution” between Israel and Palestinians, something that to many seems increasingly unlikely as the body count rises daily.
He said the only way for the two-state solution to work, is for the proposal to go “beyond” the “theoretical” and for “detailed consideration” to resume on how such a plan could be achieved.
“It is my hope that it will not be long until the international community comes together to commence the serious, crucial negotiations that will be needed in the time ahead,” he said.
“Some essential elements which may require cooperation include: the requirement for a Palestinian state to be contiguous; the capacity for the State to produce its own products and release them to the market without hindrance; air, sea and land sovereignty; the position of East Jerusalem; and the sovereignty that would enable the Palestinian State to join the international organisations,” President Higgins said.
“In this process, it may be helpful to consider the valuable role played by a permanent secretariat during the peace process on our own island,” he added. “Rather than relying on best-intentioned but sadly short-lived initiatives, a secretariat would allow a basis for continuity and the continual development of texts and ideas.
“Such an approach would have value in the context of issues such as the management of boundaries, as well as some of the other issues which must be addressed if a long term peace is to be established in the Middle East.
“The horrific violence and loss of life which we have seen since the attacks carried out by Hamas in Israel on October 7, followed by the devastation caused by the Israeli response in Gaza, as well as continuing violence by settlers in the West Bank, highlight the urgency of this task.”
While he felt the Irish Government had provided a “lead in raising these issues through the European and international institutions,” “far too many lives, and particularly children's lives, have already been lost.”