Awarding of scholarships to Palestinian students an act of ‘profound solidarity’

By Philip Rooney, The Sligo Champion

The awarding of scholarships to 52 Palestinian students from Gaza who are currently arriving to study in Ireland has been described by Minister for State at the Department of Further and Higher Education Marian Harkin as “An act of practical compassion and one of profound solidarity with the Palestinian people.”

“As Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education I am delighted to welcome these students who have been offered scholarships across a range of disciplines and in a range of colleges across the country. They have been rescued from a brutal war and a man-made famine, and it is our hope that they will be able to return to a Palestine at peace, healed in body and spirit and ready to put their learning and qualifications to use in the service of their people.

“As they leave their families behind, I hope they can somehow free themselves from the horror they have experienced and embrace this opportunity to pursue their studies, viewing it as a crucial first step in the building of a brighter future for themselves, their families, for Palestine and their troubled region. Education is a source of hope and opportunity, and I want them to know that they are valued members of our academic community. Irish colleges and universities are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment where they can thrive academically and personally.”

“This initiative represents the best of Ireland’s values - solidarity, compassion, and a belief in the power of education to transform lives. In that regard I want to acknowledge the extraordinary work of Tánaiste Simon Harris, the Department of Foreign Affairs, our diplomatic and consular staff, and the commitment of our third level institutions in opening their doors to students whose education has been so cruelly disrupted by conflict.”

Turning to the informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers to be held in Copenhagen Minister Harkin said, “It is vital that this meeting brings a breakthrough in moves to suspend the EU-Israel Association Trade Agreement. I am encouraged to see Sweden and the Netherlands calling for the agreement to be suspended, it’s well past time to do so and I have been calling for a review of the agreement since November 2023. Given the scale of the atrocities being committed day in and day out by the IDF at the behest of the Netanyahu Government, if the EU doesn’t suspend this agreement in the face of this enormous cruelty and inhumanity, then the moral fibre of the Union will be damaged and its standing in the world compromised.,” Minister Harkin concluded.