Irish PM: Eurovision withdrawal is act of solidarity

ODN

Ireland’s premier Micheál Martin has described his country pulling out of Eurovision over the participation of Israel as an act of solidarity. The Taoiseach said at the British-Irish Council Summit in Cardiff that he “fully understands” the decision of Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ to withdraw from the contest. Report by Jonesia. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn

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00:00Well, first of all, I've just got to say, fully understand the decision of RT as a broadcaster,

00:04because there are two groups of people, among many, who acted extremely brave during the war in Gaza,

00:11the medical community and journalists.

00:14And this is, among other things, an act of solidarity with those journalists

00:19who were killed in breach of international humanitarian law during the war in Gaza.

00:24Without those journalists, the world would not have known, to the degree that it knows,

00:29the horrors of what transpired in Gaza.

00:33And so I understand that fully.

00:35I think our focus has to be on peace,

00:38and how now can we contribute to the bedding down of the ceasefire,

00:45and how can we as a country, and Ireland is up to contributing to the peace process,

00:50and we work with other like-minded countries in that respect.

00:53In fact, our decision to recognise Palestine was in the context of the Arab Partner Peace Initiative.

00:59That's it.

01:00I think of theazeman's

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