Dublin councillors condemn US and Israeli attack on Iran
Dublin councillors have condemned the US and Israeli bombardment of Iran, and called for an “immediate” diplomatic resolution to the conflict, which began with widespread airstrikes on February 28.
In an emergency motion submitted by Sinn Féin councillor Ciarán Ó Meachair at Dublin City Council’s (DCC) monthly meeting, a majority of the chamber (39 councillors) voted in favour of condemning the latest attacks on Iran.
Nine councillors voted against the motion, with four elected members abstaining during the meeting, which was held mostly in Irish.
The motion also calls on relevant parties to agree “an immediate ceasefire and recommit to a diplomatic resolution”, and said Dublin’s Lord Mayor should reject any forthcoming invitation to Washington, DC to mark St Patrick’s Day festivities.
However, the annual St Patrick’s Day trip to the US capital is usually attended by the Taoiseach rather than Dublin’s Lord Mayor.
Speaking on the motion, as Gaeilge, Mr Ó Meachair said the attacks on Iran broke international law, and it’s not the first time Israel and the US had done so.
"There was an attack on Venezuela, threats against Colombia, threats against Greenland and a lot of others,” an interpreter translated Mr Ó Meachair as saying.
"International law is not an a la carte thing, it has to be implemented entirely,” he continued. “It’s like a necklace or a chain: if any link is broken, the whole thing is broken”.
DCC chief executive Richard Shakespeare said in response that he would have to “check this [motion] with the legal advisors,” and added that there was “no invitation” for members of DCC to the White House.
Right to Change councillor Pat Dunne said: “I just wonder, chief executive, whether the Israeli intelligence have been onto you again when you mention that you need to get legal advice on this motion.”
He said that the legal request was “unprecedented” and that the council had passed many motions on international affairs in the past without this level of scrutiny.
Independent councillor Diarmuid Pepper said that the only result of condemning the US was “falling out with a country that invests heavily in this country”, and said Iranians had tried to instigate regime change in the past through non-violent means.
"There’s people in here that talk about human rights, well the human rights in Iran are absolutely scandalous,” he said.