THE ORGANISATION behind the annual Bloody Sunday March for Justice has criticised the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) for comparing last weekend's Hamas attacks on Israel to the Derry killings.
It follows the official IDF Twitter account posting a video of Bono paying tribute to victims of a Hamas attack on the Supernova music festival at Re'im near the border with Gaza last Saturday, which reportedly claimed around 260 lives.
The IDF post was accompanied by the comment: "This is Israel's Bloody Sunday."
Israeli troops inspect the site of the attack on the Supernova music festival on October 10 (Image: JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)In a statement, the Bloody Sunday March Committee said the comparison 'sullied' the memory of the 14 people killed in Derry after British soldiers opened fire on unarmed civilians during a civil rights march on January 30, 1972.
During a U2 show at the Sphere in Las Vegas last Sunday, frontman Bono spoke of 'those beautiful kids at that music festival'.
"In the light of what's happened in Israel and Gaza, a song about non-violence seems somewhat ridiculous, even laughable," added the singer.
Bono — whose band referenced the Derry killings in their song Sunday Bloody Sunday — then altered the opening lyrics to the U2 song Pride to reference the festival attack.
A clip showing part of the performance was shared by the IDF Twitter account, accompanied by the comment drawing comparisons between the Hamas attack and Bloody Sunday.
The Bloody Sunday March Committee hit out at the post, saying the IDF 'commit Bloody Sunday-type massacres every day of the week in Occupied Palestine'.
'This is beyond outrageous'
"We are staggered beyond belief at a post on X [formerly known as Twitter] from the Israeli Defense Forces claiming that events in Israel are 'their Bloody Sunday'," read a statement on Saturday.
"The hypocrisy of a brutal state force comparing themselves to the innocent of Bloody Sunday will dismay Derry people.
"This is beyond outrageous — to have the memory of our innocent dead sullied by the apartheid forces of the Israeli State will cause deep hurt and anger in Derry.
"The IDF commit Bloody Sunday-type massacres every day of the week in Occupied Palestine.
Statement from The Bloody Sunday March Committee on the reference by the Israeli Defense Forces to #BloodySunday.
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We are staggered beyond belief at at a post on X from the Israeli Defense Forces claiming that events in Israel are "Their Bloody Sunday."— Bloody Sunday Derry (@BloodySunday50) October 14, 2023
"Just like in Derry their killers operate with impunity and Palestinians receive no justice.
“Two hundred and twenty-three unarmed Palestinians were massacred at the Gaza border fence by the IDF in 2018/19.
"They were shot by Israeli snipers, war criminals who were following in the bloody tradition of the murderous Parachute Regiment in the Bogside.
"After these state killings, Israel did not become the pariah state that it should have.
People attend the 2022 Bloody Sunday march on the 50th anniversary of the killings (Image: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)"Instead the so-called international community actually increased military aid to the IDF killers.
"The UK Government do not even offer the weakest of condemnation of the Israeli State.
"It's clear from the Legacy Bill they imposed on us and from their statement of 'unequivocal support' for Israel that there truly is no British justice.
"We send our solidarity to those who fight for justice and freedom for the Palestinians living under illegal occupation."
Rallies
The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign held a rally in support of Palestine in Derry on Tuesday.
The event was held at Free Derry Corner, where a message in support of Palestine was painted on the famous landmark.
Several similar rallies were held throughout Ireland this weekend, mirroring demonstrations around the world.
Crowds of people march in a pro-Palestinian rally in Dublin on Saturday (Image: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie)In Dublin on Saturday, hundreds of people marched from O'Connell Street to Shelbourne Road, where the Israeli embassy is situated.
On Sunday, pro-Palestinian supporters in Belfast marched from Writers' Square to the City Hall.
A pro-Israeli demonstration took place in Dublin on Sunday, with former Fine Gael politician Alan Shatter addressing attendees outside Leinster House.
Meanwhile, in a statement today, Tánaiste Micheál Martin called on Hamas to immediately release 126 Israeli hostages from Gaza.
He also criticised the Israeli military's decision to tell the population in the north of the Gaza strip to move southward, saying civilians are protected under international humanitarian law.
"There is no doubt about the brutal criminality of Hamas and their utter disregard for human life, including the lives of their fellow Palestinians," he said.
Tánaiste Micheál martin has called for the release of Israeli hostages from Gaza (Image: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie)"But we absolutely must distinguish between Hamas and Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
"We are in contact with the UN and other partners on an ongoing basis on work to create humanitarian corridors from Egypt, to get vital supplies to civilians in urgent need in Gaza.
"I am also deeply concerned about rising violence and deaths in the West Bank, including increased incidents of settler violence and displacement of Palestinian communities.
"Under international law, Israel has a right to defend itself from attack, but this must be done within the parameters of international humanitarian law."
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