FINE Gael Senator Tim Lombard has resigned from the Oireachtas Friends of Israel group.
In September, The Ditch website reported that eight senators and two TDs at Leinster House were registered as members of the Oireachtas Friends of Israel group, including Sen Lombard.
Groups advocating for Palestine had criticised Sen Lombard for his membership but he said he believed the Friends of Israel group could work with opposition parliamentary groups in Israel to ‘make sure we get a peaceful resolution to this conflict’.
However, in response to the Action Against War group, Sen Lombard has confirmed he has resigned from the Friends of Israel.
‘The discussions and meetings I’ve had with individuals and groups such as West Cork for Palestine have been both beneficial and respectful,’ said Sen Lombard.
‘My political aim has always been to establish communication with parliamentarians who want peace and security for the peoples of Palestine and Israel.
‘To that end, I have established communication with Dr Ofer Cassif, member of the Knesset and invited him to visit Ireland.
‘Having established that communication, I have written to the Ceann Comhairle requesting the withdrawal of my membership of the Ireland-Israel parliamentary friendship group.
‘As stated previously, I fully support calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and unhindered access to aid in Gaza.’
The Action Against War group was highly critical of Sen Lombard and said his resignation is ‘a year overdue’.
They added that communication with Ofer Cassif does not depend on membership of the Friends of Israel group, and ‘sends the wrong signal’.
Spokesperson for the Action Against War group, Ardfield-based Dominic Carroll also said that history would view Sen Lombard’s membership of the Friends of Israel ‘much as contemporary commentators do: as an effective endorsement of Israel as it commits genocide.’
Mr Carroll also suggested that the senator would not join an Oireachtas ‘Friends of Russia’ group, were one to be established, because it would be seen universally as an endorsement of Russian’s invasion of Ukraine.
