The slaughter of the Fogel family stands out among recent PFLP attacks. PFLP fighters entered a family home, killed the parents and two children, and then left. And then on their way out, they heard a three-month-old baby crying. And they went back in, to finish off the baby.
So imagine the kind of racist hatred that you need to hear a baby crying and to go back into that house to kill her. And imagine the ignorance that you must need to march behind that flag through Dublin to the Israeli embassy. And that's what we're dealing with. We're dealing with a combination of hatred - but for many people it's just pure ignorance.
And it wasn't a one-off. As you probably know, Hamas flags have been held and carried, and Hezbollah flags, in the streets of Dublin in the last number of years. I think at the last pro-Israeli demo there was a PFLP flag. There were racist chants here at the embassy last weekend.
And one reason why you should have doubts, those people who were here last weekend, is: Have a look at the people who are on your side.
These are your allies, people. Not you, obviously! We're addressing the other audience.
These are your allies. Will history say that you were right, and all these awful people were right on this topic? No it will not. It will not say that.
Israel is a multicultural liberal democracy. It's probably the only place most of us could live in the Middle East and be free. It has elections. Since 2006, Israel has had 7 general elections. Gaza has had none. And the PA has had none. Since 2006. They don't believe in it.
It has freedom of religion. Jews, Christians and Muslims all worshipping freely. It has freedom of sexuality. It has all these things that the region, that the Middle East badly needs. And despite all of its enemies, and all of the attacks against it, Israel continues to thrive in almost every way in terms of economy and society.
It shows what a Palestinian state could be, if the Palestinians would change their ideas. Because I think, and I think we have to have sympathy for the Palestinians. I believe they are in the grip of an ideology that has ruined their lives, and ruined their parents' lives. And they will not be free and they will not be happy until they change that ideology and adopt a more positive view of the future. And when they do, Israel will be a great friend and neighbour to them.
There's a perfect storm of bad thinking. It infects much of the Irish state, including many of our politicians. But what I want to say is, that what Ireland does mainly disgraces Ireland. Israel will survive, no matter what people in Ireland say.
And a rally like this is important because it shows to the Israel-haters in the Dail and the Seanad, not in my name. Not in our name. You don't speak for all of us in Ireland. You speak for yourselves, and for some people, but not for us. And not for this whole country.
We stand with the diverse, multicultural democracy where everybody is free to worship or not worship. And we stand against racist states cleansed of Jews, that also persecute Christians and other minorities. So I stand with Israel and not with Hamas. And so should everybody in my country. And I stand with the flawed imperfect democracy against the jihadists and the racists, and I always will.
PFLP flag at anti-Israel march in Dublin, 22 May 2021.
From here.
And video.
He is a Nazi-sympathising antisemite.
In response to an Israeli criticising Ireland, he
declares:
"I now see [why] Hitler did what he did".
