President suggests UN should exclude Israel and allies

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

President Michael D Higgins has suggested Israel and countries that supply it with weapons should be excluded from the United Nations.

It comes after a team of independent experts commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

The findings by the three-member team are the latest accusations of genocide against prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government as Israel carries on with its war in Gaza which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.

I believe myself that the kind of actions that are necessary now are the exclusion of those who are practising genocide, and those who are supporting genocide with armaments

The Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, which was created four years ago, has repeatedly documented alleged human rights abuses and violations since the deadly October 7th, 2023 attack by Hamas.

The commission is unable to take action against individual countries but its findings could be used by prosecutors at the International Criminal Court or the UN’s International Court of Justice.

Israel refused to cooperate with the commission and has described allegations of genocide as antisemitic.

Speaking to reporters at the National Ploughing Championships as one of his last major public appearances before the end of his term in office, Mr Higgins reacted to the findings of what he described as a “very important document”.

Me Higgins said: “I believe myself that the kind of actions that are necessary now are the exclusion of those who are practising genocide, and those who are supporting genocide with armaments.

“We must look at their exclusion from the United Nations itself, and we should have no hesitation any longer in relation to ending trade with people who are inflicting this at our fellow human beings.”