Former journalist and current activist Fintan Drury gave a talk in the Kemmy Business School at 6pm Wednesday night, organised through the UL Boycott Divestment Sanctions Campaign
Fintan’s book, ‘Catastrophe: Nakba II’, captures the long-running pain of the Israel-Palestine conflict. In his own words, this talk was “about promoting the book, but it’s really about promoting the cause.”
Through giving a personal oral history and reading excerpts from his book, Fintan gave a heartbreaking account, in plain language, of the pain and cause of the Palestinian plight.
An emotional but vital first half-hour gave way to an excited and energetic questions and answers section.
The head of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Zoe Lawlor, was in attendance and set the energy well among a vocally pro-Palestinian audience.
A recurring line of questioning was how do we, as individuals, bring about change, and promote the cause for Palestinian liberation.
When asked how to change the minds of politicians, Fintan put it simply that politicians need to “feel the cold wind of unpopularity”, adding that “we have a political class that is comfortable.”
The Q&A went on to speak about the economic ties between Ireland and Israel. Fintan expressed outrage about Irish beef being served in the apartheid state. The “incongruity of a country with famine stained on its DNA” was his lingering message on the topic, finishing with an endorsement of the Occupied Territories Bill.
The final question of the night related to the role of journalism in the conflict and how to improve the West’s approach to the topic. Without hesitation, Fintan pointed to the racism of the West for the soft approach on criticism of the Israel-led conflict, comparing it to the Ukraine conflict to highlight the racial bias.
Fintan left off with a quote from Robert Fisk, noted journalist and critic of the US and Israeli governments – “Take the cause of the oppressed and work that as hard as you can.”
The opinions of the Israel-Palestine conflict in Israel itself are more nuanced than many would expect. With regular protests from Israeli citizens as well as in the Knesset, the national legislature, there is a complex a view of the conflict inside Israel. Yair Lapid, the leader of the opposition to the Israeli government, has claimed “it is a war that is going nowhere” and that the government should apologise for the suffering in Gaza.
The final statements of the night were calls to action. A petition against the Ireland Women’s basketball team playing against Israel was shared with the audience. A reminder was given of the weekly marches in Limerick city each Saturday, led by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Committee. And lastly, an announcement that the Occupied Territories Bill will be debated in the Dáil Wednesday November 19th, and that a protest will be held at the Dáil in favour of the bill passing.