‘Match your words with actions' – Paul Murphy urges Simon Harris to do more for Palestinians after being detained in Egypt
On arrival in Dublin Airport with a group of around ten others, he called on the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs to match his words of criticism of Israel with actions.
Last week, Mr Murphy and members of an activist group had their passports taken and were held after attempting to walk to Rafah as part of a protest march highlighting the blockage of aid into Gaza.
He was then detained for a second time in Cairo on Monday when he went to a police station to retrieve his mobile phone, which was being held by authorities.
'The main thing I'm asking Simon Harris to do, and we're asking Simon Harris to do, is not to do more for us - it's to match his strong words of criticism of Israel with actions,' he said.
"To fully implement the Occupied Territories Bill, to stop the overflights of weapons going through our airspace, and to stop our Central Bank authorising the sale of Israeli bonds in the European Union,' he said.
Surrounded by group members with Irish and Palestinian flags, Deputy Murphy said they had 'tremendous support from the Egyptian people'.
'It's clear that the Egyptian people are very, very supportive of Palestine. Obviously, we're disappointed with the stance that the Egyptian State took,' he said.
"I'm fine. All the Irish people are fine. There are still some non-Irish people who are detained out there, so we're hopeful that they're released as soon as possible and we have to be kind of mindful of the fact that they're potentially still in detention and there's other Irish people who want to come home, in terms of the comments we make about Egypt.'
Reacting to criticism from Independent Ireland party leader TD Michael Collins, who branded his trip to Egypt a 'march for publicity', Deputy Murphy people can make their own judgements.
'First of all, this is not my stunt at all. This is 4,000 people that were participating. I was actually a late participant in joining it. This is probably the biggest global coordinated march for Palestine that we have seen. And even though we didn't reach Rafah, we think we did succeed in highlighting what's happening,' he explained.
'Just yesterday 38 people were killed while queuing for aid, and this has become a pattern now, over 300 people in the last three weeks.
'I left on Thursday. I was in the Dáil on Thursday morning. I'm back today, back for the Dáil, today. I think most people in this country want politicians to do everything they can to stop this genocide. This is a contribution that I felt that I could make in supporting this people-powered movement that we have.'
Deputy Murphy said the next focus now is on a meeting in Brussels next week.
"We definitely recognise that this phase of the global March to Gaza is finished. We accept that we will not be reaching Rafah, and those who remain there will not be reaching Rafah.
'There's a meeting in Brussels next week when Foreign Affairs Ministers are meeting with the Israeli Minister for Foreign Affairs. We think that's horrendous in the context of the genocide that's been going on for 20 months.
'I think it's horrendous that Ursula von der Leyen is still talking about Israel's right to defend itself and blaming others for instability in the Middle East, considering Israel's ongoing genocide and then starting a war effectively with Iran. So that's our next focal point."
Meanwhile, Mr Collins questioned what was the objective of the trip and said he would have advised Mr Murphy against travelling if he was a member of Independent Ireland.
Mr Collins said it is 'Dáil time' and TDs are supposed to be working. He also questioned why Mr Murphy put himself in danger.
'As party leader, if one of my TDs came to me and said they wanted to go travelling. First of all, I'd say, it's Dáil time and it's work time, you're supposed to tend to your duties,' said Mr Collins at Leinster House.
'If it's a holiday during August or something, that's their own business. But certainly, why put yourself in danger? Why put other people in danger, because you are in a position of responsibility and you have to advise people of the dangers you're putting people in. I felt there was a danger and there was a danger for others.
'I think it was more done on the basis of publicity than maybe delivery. And delivery is for the people that is inside here, where democracy is held, where people are held to order, where we can speak our minds and he's well able to speak his mind [in the Dáil].
"It's his decision but it's a decision I'd question myself if it was within my party.'
Cork TD Richard O'Donoghue said he hopes Mr Murphy is well and safe.
'You can protest, you can do all the same things of what he wanted to achieve, here. But to go over there and to put your life and other lives at risk, says to me you didn't think about the people you were leaving here behind you,' said Mr O'Donoghue.
Meanwhile, Labour TD Duncan Smith said he would not criticise anybody who is trying to highlight the genocide in Gaza.
'I'm not going to be criticising any politician or citizen of this country or others who are doing what they believe they can to highlight what's going on in Gaza.'
Mr Murphy has confirmed no Irish citizens are now under detention in Egypt.
'No other Irish citizens are still detained, thankfully. Again, there are many Irish citizens who are not leaving today, will still be there for a period of time and I'm kind of conscious about their safety and not putting them in in any jeopardy,' Mr Murphy told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.
Mr Murphy said his second detention was a 'slow bureaucratic process' and things were taking a long time to resolve.
'But then, I asked to leave and was told that I couldn't leave and the whole time they had my passport. It became clear that I was being detained, as unfortunately hundreds of others have been detained in Egypt, many people deported.'
He said his experience in Egypt 'pales into insignificance compared to what's happening in Gaza'.
'Just yesterday, 38 Palestinians were killed while queuing for aid. There's now over 300 Palestinians have been killed in those circumstances in the last three weeks,' he said.
'And the purpose of our global march to Gaza, which involved over 4,000 people coming here to Egypt from over 60 countries, was really to highlight the forced starvation that is happening and to call for a lifting of the blockade and allowing aid to flow.'
Mr Murphy said he was held for around nine hours when he was detained for a second time and due to the slow nature of the process, it was unclear at first whether he was detained or not.
It then became clear to him that he had been detained again because when he asked to leave the police station, he was told he was not allowed to.
'From our perspective, I mean we came here, the 4,000 people to try to march to Rafah in order to highlight what is happening in Gaza.
'Obviously, we're disappointed that we didn't get to Rafah, but we have had probably the largest international people-powered coalition for Palestine in a very, very long time.
'I think we did raise awareness about what is happening. And so, in the context of the severe Egyptian repression that is taking place, I'm conscious that look, there's still people in detention. There's still many, many people who won't be flying home.'
While there will not be another attempt to enter Rafah, Mr Murphy said activists will now turn their attention to events like a planned meeting between European foreign ministers and the Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar in Brussels next week.
'For us, the main pressure we need to have is on Israel, to stop what it's doing in Gaza and on our own Government to stop their complicity.
'Obviously, many western governments and many of the people over there are coming from countries where the governments are actively arming and funding Israel.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
20 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Iranians BURN US & Israel flags and chant ‘we want to DIE for Ayatollah' as thousands join ‘death to the West' protests
SEETHING Iranians burned US and Israeli flags and swore their allegiance to the regime in mass protests across the country. Thousands flooded the capital's streets after weekly prayers, chanting for the death of the west and pledging their lives to Advertisement 9 Protesters gathered in Tehran's main square to express their fury with Israel Credit: Getty 9 US and Israeli flags are burned Credit: AP 9 Strong support for the Supreme Leader was evident among the crowds Credit: Getty Israel has urged the people of Iran to But alongside their loyalty to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the crowds aimed vitriolic hate at Israel and the West. Photos show Israeli and US flag deliberately set on fire and trampled on. A sea of Iranian and Hezbollah flags and photos of Khamenei were paraded through the roads. Advertisement read more on israel-iran Footage also shows demonstrators brandishing pictures of commanders killed over the past week by Israel's One banner read: "I will sacrifice my life for my leader." Iranian state TV said: "This is the Friday of the Iranian nation's solidarity and resistance across the country." The broadcaster said that protests also took place in other cities - particularly Tabriz in northwestern Iran and Shiraz in the south. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun And there are reports of smaller scale gatherings in towns around the country. While these crowds back the regime, there are plenty in Iran who want to see it toppled and the people finally freed from its tyranny. Moment Israel DOWNS Iranian drone over Syria Thousands have drained from Tehran and even left the country. Friday's protests were by far the largest since Israel and Iran began trading missiles. Advertisement People took to the streets despite the ongoing threat of Israeli bombs. In Isfahan, home to one of the nuclear facilities Israel has hit, thousands joined in the funeral of an Iranian killed in an Israeli attack. Several men were seen carrying a coffin draped with Iranian flags and with a photo of a uniformed soldier. Behind them, men, women and children followed, chanting: 'Death to Israel, death to America." Advertisement 9 Crowds took to the streets following Friday prayers Credit: Getty 9 People turned out despite the threat posed by Israel's ongoing bombardment of Iran Credit: AP 9 Protesters believe that the US and Israel want to exploit the conflict to gain power over the Middle East Credit: EPA Protester Abu Hussein, a 54-year-old taxi driver, told Arab News: 'It is an unjust war… Israel has no right. Advertisement 'Israel is not in it for the (Iranian) nuclear (program). "What Israel and the Americans want is to dominate the Middle East." The protests came on a day that efforts to find a diplomatic solution got gathered momentum. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi travelled to Geneva to meet European foreign minsters - including those from the UK, Germany and France . Advertisement Earlier in the day, he attended a special meeting of the UN's Human Rights Council. Meanwhile, the UN's Security Council met in New York upon Iran's request. 9 The protests broke out at cities around the country Credit: EPA 9 They were attended by men, women and children Credit: AP Advertisement 9 Despite the crisis, many are still loyal to the Supreme Leader Credit: Getty
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Mayo sends clear message of solidarity with Palestine - ‘You will never have peace until you have justice'
Debbie McCole from Shanaghy Ballina, is the chairperson for the Mayo branch of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), which is described as an 'apolitical and movement-focused' group. Speaking to the Irish Independent Ms McCole explained why she is fighting for justice, 'I often think it's a very interesting conversation around justice versus peace. An awful lot of people will advocate for peace but it's very easy to mistake one for the other. You will never really have peace until you have full justice.' Ballina has been holding a weekly vigil on Ham Bridge since the end of May last year. It came to be referred to as a 'Bridgvil'. 'I am very proud to stand on that bridge and represent humanity,' said Debbie, who admitted she was nervous at first as she had not been involved in protests of any form before, 'We are very lucky in Mayo that we have such an active community and everybody is anxious to do something. I think people are finding the courage to stand up and say no this is enough now.' The former teacher continued, 'International law has been decimated. Until there has been some trust restored and people can see that justice has been served for the Palestinian people, then our work is not done.' This distrust towards the international community is a feeling shared by local musician Patrick O'Laoghaire from Louisburg, who said he felt that the 'social contract of trust has been broken.' Mr O'Laoghaire is set to take part in a walk from Achill Sound to Westport on Saturday June 21st in solidarity with the people of Gaza. The route has been chosen as it is roughly the same distance as walking from one end of the Gaza Strip to the other. Inspiration for the 42 km walk came when Patrick, along with his wife, were walking their dog on Silver Strand in Mayo and a plane passed over them. ADVERTISEMENT 'It reminded me of Shannon [airport]. It struck me that I'm living in Mayo, it's sunny here, I have the dog with me and there's a plane passing over and I know that some of them come [via] that route to refuel and fly on.' The route he is referring to is one that is reportedly used by US military aircrafts enroute to the Middle East. Patrick said he felt helpless in that moment and questioned. 'Can I lie with that helplessness or can I go back to being inspired by the people of Gaza and Palestine by walking and thinking of them? With walking there is a movement, a physical movement. There's energy in it.' Mr O'Laoghaire has a personal connection to Gaza through his passion for music which led him to connect with Gaza-based musician Ahmed Abuamsha on social media. 'The musicians I have made contact with in Gaza, they are singing. I'm learning their songs. When they are teaching me their songs they're teaching me that they have a life, a culture, things that are important to them. You can get a lot from a song,' Patrick continued, 'A couple of days ago they took the signal away and I was waiting for Ahmed to get back to me, and it was a feeling of 'Is he alright?' But he did come back online and he was singing with a group of children, all of them singing, 'I'm careful not to become hopeless, I feel that to lose hope does a disservice to the people in Palestine and Gaza who are somehow hanging onto hope and joy. I'm not taking inspiration from my government, I'm taking inspiration from people who are there'. Similar to Patrick, Debbie is shared her concern over reports that Shannon Airport is used as a refuelling spot for the US military. Ms McCole also stated the airport is used to bring weapons 'through and over the country'. She said, 'It's so blatant and they (the government) just pretend it's not happening, it's terrible gaslighting.' Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Harris spoke in the Dáil in March and denied any claims of US weapons travelling through Shannon Airport, 'It is expressly prohibited for civil aircraft to carry munitions of war in Irish sovereign territory, without being granted an exemption to do so by the Minister for Transport. The system of exemptions is operated under the Air Navigation Orders 1973 and 1989, by the Department of Transport.' He assured the house that 'In 2023, 2024, and to date in 2025, no applications have been received or exemptions granted for the carriage of munitions of war on civil aircraft to a point in Israel.' While in office as Taoiseach, Mr Harris stood alongside Spain and Norway in May 2024 and announced the recognition of the State of Palestine. He has been vocal on Ireland's historical and 'principled position' for the 'equal right to self-determination, peace, security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians alike' committing to an 'unwavering support for the two-State solution'. Ms McCole elaborated on Ireland's historic stance in previous conflicts saying, 'We as Irish people have a good reputation in regards to human rights and standing on the side of the oppressed traditionally,' She has not been convinced by the Government's words and said they take advantage of Ireland's history 'to be able to say nice things' but 'Palestinians can't eat the words that they're saying. It doesn't translate into material changes on the ground.' According to data published yesterday by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported at least 55,637 Palestinians have been killed and a further 129,880 have been injured since October 7th 2023.
The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
Taoiseach ‘not aware' of any talk in Fianna Fáil about backing Colum Eastwood for president
FIANNA FÁIL LEADER and Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he is not aware of any engagement with former SDLP leader Colum Eastwood over becoming the party's candidate for the Irish presidency. It has been reported by the BBC that Eastwood is considering a bid for Áras an Uachtaráin. Eastwood is currently an MP for Northern Ireland's Foyle constituency, which takes in Derry. He resigned as SDLP party leader in October last year , having announced his intention to step down a couple of months prior. The BBC today reported that Eastwood is 'considering' a bid because 'people have asked and we'll see where it goes'. 'There's very few candidates in the field right now. It's something that needs a lot of consideration.' He added: 'I'm going to take the time to think about it, but it's a long summer and there's enough to be getting on with before any decisions around that would have to be made.' Aged 42, Eastwood has previously served as the youngest mayor of Derry between 2010 and 2011. He became an MLA in 2011 and became party leader in 2015. Advertisement Eastwood was then voted in as an MP in 2019 and was return to Westminister in 2024, though with a much smaller majority. Rumours have swirled in recent days that Eastwood is being considered as a potential nominee by Fianna Fáil. Asked to confirm if Eastwood had indeed been approached by the Fianna Fáil party, Martin questioned the basis for the question, adding: 'There's been no contact with me, there's been no engagement that I am aware of from the Fianna Fail party and it hasn't been on the agenda at all.' Speaking at a North South Ministerial Council meeting today in Co Armagh, Martin said he was 'surprised' to hear Eastwood was considering a run but said 'it's open to everybody to put themselves forward'. He said Eastwood was a 'very effective parliamentarian' but Fianna Fáil had not concluded on deliberations 'at all'. The SDLP and Fianna Fáil entered into a 'policy partnership' in 2019 but this was ended in 2022. Talks of a possible merger between the two parties had been ongoing at the time, however, rather than a full-on merger, the parties instead agreed to the 'policy partnership'. Eastwood told a meeting of his party delegates in September 2022 that the time had come for the SDLP to 'stand on its own two feet'. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland First Minister and Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O'Neill has not ruled out a run for the Irish presidential election. Asked at the North South Ministerial Council if she was considering putting her name forward, O'Neill said Sinn Féin is working its way through deliberations on putting forward a candidate. -With additional reporting from Diarmuid Pepper and Press Association Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
