Israel, Lebanon, Gaza: Ireland PM on Escalating Tensions in the Middle East | Amanpour and Company

One of America's closest allies, Ireland, is taking its own approach to ending the war in Gaza by officially recognizing a Palestinian state and criticizing Israel's conduct of the war. Ireland's Prime Minister, the Taoiseach Simon Harris, joins Christiane from the U.N. in New York.
Originally aired on September 23, 2024
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Amanpour and Company features wide-ranging, in-depth conversations with global thought leaders and cultural influencers on the issues and trends impacting the world each day, from politics, business and technology to arts, science and sports. Christiane Amanpour leads the conversation on global and domestic news from London with contributions by prominent journalists Walter Isaacson, Michel Martin, Alicia Menendez and Hari Sreenivasan from the Tisch WNET Studios at Lincoln Center in New York City.
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[@mardasman428]

The Irish position of Simon Harris is certainly one of the few sensible pro-Palestinian positions out there.

[@osilliamiller-chung3908]

⁰

[@osilliamiller-chung3908]

😊9

[@johnhughes4170]

Harris speaking out of both sides of his mouth. His party are blocking the occupied territories bill as reported on the Ditch website populist liar liar .

[@alexash1000]

The whole world is watching.

[@davidroberts5577]

I appreciate the Irish take on this most important issue.🕊️

[@Kataharrison6974]

I love the Irish. ❤

[@ClaudioM-s2f]

Me too😊

[@jutswheezie]

then go live with them

[@johnhughes4170]

Harris,his party is blocking the occupied territories bill,as reported on the Ditch website. Double speak for populism.

[@stelladonaconfredobutler9459]

You GO Taoiseach Harris! Thank you☘

[@dianataneva2884]

Finally a person who really understands the game and knows where efforts should be put. A smart prime minister.

[@johnhughes4170]

Harris his party Fine gael are blocking the occupied territories bill in Dàil Eireann as reported on the Ditch website. Populist liar.

[@Farr-nx7sv]

Talk about Israel banning foreign journalists in Gaza 11 months ago. Why not report from the West Bank? 🦻

[@Tan-qr7gt]

This man is rubbish not seeing terrorists are the true cause of this situation...

[@stephendoherty981]

It's your dumb comment that's rubbish. Who are the terrorists exactly?

[@IcarianX]

I think he correctly identified the terrorists - Israel.

[@thomaspollock5709]

He has idf are the terrorists along with USA

[@ginogina4589]

Ireland, experts in long term sustainable peace.

[@RonaldPetrin]

Better minds prevail praying 🙏 for peace 🕊️.

[@rmzidann]

I love the Irish! Incredibly decent and warm people! ❤️🙏🏼

[@jutswheezie]

dumb??

[@johnhughes4170]

Harris,his party Fine Gael are blocking the occupied territories bill in Dàil Eireann,as reported on the Ditch website. Populist liar.

[@declanmoran4941]

Proud to be Irish 🇮🇪🇵🇸

[@jutswheezie]

You would have thought Ireland would fight colonizers instead of helping them spread their terror - really shameful how the distort the facts - ire means wrath and there is a lot of hate and wrath amongst the people that call themselves Palestinians.......so much so that Egypt locked its border tight.

[@Geres-v3w]

​​@@jutswheezie Ire does not mean wrath Ire is from eire the gaelic name for ireland Irish means I'll tempered or wrathful iris in old french named by the normans.

[@johnhughes4170]

Harris,his party Fine Gael are blocking the occupied territories bill in Dàil Eireann,as reported on the Ditch website. Populist liar.

[@LUISARAMOSCRICK]

Thank you Prime Minister. You are one of three leaders who gives us some hope and vision for a way forward

[@johnhughes4170]

Harris is party Fine Gael are blocking the occupied territories bill in Dàil Eireann,as reported on the Ditch website. Populist liar.

[@Paul-qg3iw]

Ireland has been wonderful in holding Israel uniquely to account and to fund UNWRA especially as the next Administration may permanently defund this agency so thank you to Ireland for picking up the slack.

[@johnhughes4170]

Harris,his party Fine Gael are blocking the occupied territories bill in Dàil Eireann,as reported on the Ditch website. Populist liar.

[@derry3344ii]

An occupying of a country is supposed to protect the people they occupy And not subject them to an apartheid system of killing them including children day in Day out !!

[@danmayberry1185]

Very well put!

[@pierremalak4641]

Thank you Ireland for not forgetting your past and joining hands with the world against Genocide. Some countries take this responsibility more firmly than others.

[@GuyFawkes-j8k]

The country of Ireland has stood head and shoulders above the European Union on this travesty. Much admiriation and respect to Ireland and its people!

[@johnhughes4170]

Harris,his party are blocking the occupied territories bill,as reported on the Ditch website.

[@lgbtqchristian4696]

Go raibh mile maith agat ❤

[@baruchhashem49]

LGBTQ for palestine???? Amadan

[@faniarethas2716]

@@baruchhashem49 Democracy in Israel? 🤣🤣

[@zsoltmolnar750]

​@faniarethas2716 it is. Walk with your girlfriend/boyfriend hand in hand in Gaza or Lebanon. You'll see😂

[@beverlydwyer5162]

Geeze We’re all human beings can’t we start acting like it and just end these foolish wars….

[@frankstewart9607]

Articulate and Passionate for Palestinian rights. Israel cannot remain a democratic state with ethical Jewish values if it remains a permanent occupier of Palestinian land as recognised under international law.

[@baruchhashem49]

😂 not for you to say or decide Stewie.

[@judykinsman3258]

Israel & ethical in the same sentence. 😂😂😂😂😂

[@edwardmeradith2419]

Well said - for those that think we shouldn’t all have an opinion, considering the fact that this situation is international by nature and we’re all potentially affected- I think the Irish pro-human rights, pro-peace attitude is what we need to hear about, from a people that know about oppression.

[@eirerep]

2 words- The Hague

[@loughrey101]

The very concept of a democratic Jewish state is an oxymoron

[@ciaranwalsh9963]

Well done Simon, well put.

[@thomaspollock5709]

He's no good with health service closing hospitals down overcrowded. Galway Roscommon many going to Galway where people don't have enough doctors to treat cancer or hospitals beds children dying no eds for homeless buying their votes for November lying about sinn Fein with rte. Lies every day about sinn Fein. Even charging old fie nursing care their pensions and house which does not happen in any other eec country it's greed seeing the money they have richest in Europe Europe scum bag I fear for him people have enough

[@johnhughes4170]

Harris, his party Fine Gael are blocking the occupied territories bill,as reported on the Ditch website. Populist liar .

[@RonaldPetrin]

Kudos

[@tamernahas]

Irish are the best ❤

[@emmany5302]

What about the illegal occupation of the West Bank? The US does not demand that Israel abide by the touted rules-based order.

[@ndadikpa]

Handing over the west bank is not an issue, it's workable because israel handed over land back to Jordan, Egypt, and Gaza all for peace. The only challenge is that the Palestinians elected Hamas! A terrorist group to help them destroy israelzl. And thus Iran weaponized the Gaza strip resulting in rockets, tunnels and murder. So how does israel handover the Westbank again? This time around the weaponization would lead to the destruction of israel. The security of the Westbank is difficult to handover even though the administration can be handed over. Both sides have to learn to share and live in peace not hate

[@ndadikpa]

Handing over the west bank is not an issue, it's workable because israel handed over land back to Jordan, Egypt, and Gaza all for peace. The only challenge is that the Palestinians elected Hamas! A terrorist group to help them destroy israelzl. And thus Iran weaponized the Gaza strip resulting in rockets, tunnels and murder. So how does israel handover the Westbank again? This time around the weaponization would lead to the destruction of israel. The security of the Westbank is difficult to handover even though the administration can be handed over. Both sides have to learn to share and live in peace not hate

[@jutswheezie]

you mean the occupation by Jordan?? It has ended has it not??

[@micheleholmes9692]

Thank you for your pro human rights approach. The UN has already recognized the loss of civilian lives

[@derry3344ii]

🇮🇪🇵🇸🇮🇪🇵🇸🇮🇪🇵🇸🇮🇪🇵🇸

[@AliBenrose]

I’m so proud to be of Irish decent , so proud of Ireland 🇮🇪, peace to Palestine & Lebanon.

[@johnhughes4170]

Harris,his party Fine Gael are blocking the occupied territories bill in Dàil Eireann,as reported on the Ditch website. Populist liar. Fork tongue.

[@اسامةالشهري-و7س]

An honest man, thanks

[@johnhughes4170]

Harris,his party is blocking the occupied territories bill in Dail Eireann,as reported on the Ditch website. Populist liar.

[@zaiamimoun7842]

The life on hold of a child born just now. Gaza is a wound that widens mercilessly, under the bombs of those thirsty for the blood of innocents; Gaza is a wound that lights up the eyes drunk with hatred of beings who take pleasure in breaking lives that have barely hatched; Gaza is a wound like the mouth of a mother screaming her pain and her inability to save those she has just given birth to; Gaza is a wound like the abyss dug by the insane to bury the evidence of their intolerable crimes; Gaza is a wound as big as the waves of the ocean that sweep our universe, carrying the rest of our illusions, Gaza is a wound that widens to become, tomorrow, one of the greatest mass graves of our humanity.

[@jutswheezie]

Amazing I wish you would say this for Yemen, Syria, Ukraine, Sudan, the people suffering from Boko Haram in Nigeria - but hey they are all not jewish or Israel - and in ISLAM your main goal is to remove the infidel. How is life for minorities again in e.g. Egypt or any islamic republic - Coptic christian?? Yezidis?? - how many jews live now in Egypt 3 or 2 ?? where I come from this is called ethnic cleansing. Your victim - perpetrator reversal never fails to deliver......... (10000 rockets were launched on Israel from Gaza - 8000 from Hisbollah- where I come from we call this attempted g.......) Have the hostages been released???

[@bernadettefedgar9253]

Ireland on the right side of history

[@Archie460]

These US backed wars are outrageous 😡 and yet we are not hearing many talk about peace, in Ukraine,Gaza, Yemen and now Lebanon 😢 not to mention all the other war's around the world

[@davidpretiz4439]

"viva siempre el trabajo y la paz" aquí yo, mando saludos al Primer Ministro de Irlanda desde Costa Rica!

[@stevejacover4874]

Peace Keepers ??? WTF are you talking about? Start enforcing the past UN resolutions

[@alisoninchausti1080]

Not possible unless the US is on board.

[@ShankarSivarajan]

​@@alisoninchausti1080 Why not sanction the US? Ban all trade with US companies, restrict travel, etc. Everyone's obvious unwillingness to do such things is clear evidence that "international law" isn't something anyone really believes in in any meaningful way, and that it's just posturing.

[@siogbeagbideach]

He's talking about the Irish peacekeepers in Lebanon, they've been there for decades. One from my community is missing in Lebanon since the 1980s RIP

[@jutswheezie]

UN resolution 181

[@intheshell35ify]

Who is that well spoken politician?!? He seems so earnest and sincere.

[@bothi00]

Our Taoiseach, Simon Harris (the head of government in Ireland and de facto head of the executive), and leader of the centre-right party « Fine Gael »

[@margaretmcguire8952]

Our Irish Prime Minister, Simon Harris

[@Unborn-Stillborn]

He's an idiot .. he thought covid 19 got its name because there were 19 covid viruses. An national embarrassment ..

[@sanjaypaul9159]

Interesting perspective. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris also speaks of a two-state solution. Ending civilian casualties on either side is key.

[@electrolytics]

It's too bad Sinead O'Connor wasn't still around. She could offer us all good guidance on the affairs. There's always great wisdom coming from Ireland.

[@SaidQuarashee]

This gentleman is the best

[@jutswheezie]

Ireland recognizes a Palestine state - fun fact - Israel recognized a Palestinian state multiple times over - ratified the corresponding agreements at their Knesset - the problem is - that the Arabs that call themselves Palestinians never recognized ISRAEL as a state - never ever - this is the core problem and the only problem here!!

[@IsItaSunnyday]

Am Yisrael Chai 🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱🙏

[@edwardmeradith2419]

🍀💙

[@lizArizona]

Thank you honorable Simon Harris!! 🤙👍✌🏼

[@stacyeversley332]

This Old Witch

[@lizArizona]

Thank you for supporting the people of Palestine Gaza thank you Ireland

[@arlenreinstein9907]

Jew haters come in all guises

[@ruthtepper8431]

Salute to the Israel Defense Forces who defend the entire world from the threat of Islamic terrorism.

[@muhammadsarfaraz-k8t]

Well done Simon ❤️

[@davidpretiz4439]

May I say, humanity thanks you, Mr Prime Minister of Ireland.

[@Peaceman1.]

This old women Christina major she is sick

[@gerthie]

Well done simon

[@Peaceman1.]

This old is sick

[@Rambobambo007]

Ireland 🇮🇪 is on the right side of history

[@zsoltmolnar750]

Supporting tism, and against a normal democratic country? "Congratulations "

[@zsoltmolnar750]

@Nobodyyouknow-u8w formed in 48 and built by the jews ,not created by British not at all It's a legitim democratic country like the Republic of Ireland

[@zsoltmolnar750]

@@Nobodyyouknow-u8w not the British, UN 47 , the jews built the country

[@zsoltmolnar750]

@@Nobodyyouknow-u8w no they didn't, UN 47, citizens built the country

[@zsoltmolnar750]

@@Nobodyyouknow-u8w it does matter what ethnic: jews. It's a legitim country like Ireland

[@rainmanjr2007]

Well, if Simon says.

[@baruchhashem49]

He's hated in Ireland

[@oldbeatpete]

​@@baruchhashem49broad statement - what percentage?

[@bothi00]

​@@oldbeatpeteabout 60ish percent. He'd the leader of the centre-right party « Fine Gael » ; a conservative néolibéral party. So yes he has supporters and is more popular than the last, but his actual politics are becoming less and less popular amongst Irish people

[@stephendoherty981]

Rubbish. His poll numbers shot through the roof last week.

[@Róisín_of_the_Hawkeye]

​@@baruchhashem49We don't hate him at all. We are frustrated as we want him to do more, like impose sanctions and enact the Occupied Territories Bill, among other legislation. And it will happen eventually! He cannot ignore the public any longer

[@charlessmyth]

The two-state solution was done-and-dusted at the UN, in 1947, but the Arab states and Egypt, refused to accept that international agreement and kicked off the the "Nakba" of 1948, and tried again in 1967 and 1973. Fifty years later . . .

[@thomaspenoyer9711]

What a deception, this is written by someone owned body and soul by Satan, not by God. Christ will curse

[@johnnylarue9722]

Palestinians want their own state. The state would be everything from the river to the sea. That is the ONLY thing they want.

[@stephendoherty981]

Netanyahu's Likud Party's slogan is 'From the river to the sea, there will only be Israeli sovereignty'. We can both play that game.

[@tanvirkabir4960]

Hierocracy has many faces.

[@drorbenami4827]

What was Ireland's position on the U N sanctionblockade of Iraq that killed 500,000 Iraqi children ? What was Ireland's position on the UN force in Korea which killed amost 2 million civilians ?

[@bothi00]

Very good points. More than most, Ireland is Amerika's lapdog

[@clarity4444]

@@bothi00😂😂😂 haha love this. You do realise that the majority of the US is made up of Irish and Irish descendants who helped build America. What a 🤡🤡.

[@GarethMurphy40k]

Ireland was not a member of the UN until after the Korean war. Ireland only became a member in 1955. Ireland opposed sanctions on Iraq and provided humanitarian aid to Iraq. Hope that helps.

[@drorbenami4827]

@@GarethMurphy40k so...eventhough the UN killed 2 million people, Ireland still joined? Also: How did Ireland provide aid if there was a blockade. You mean: after the blocade was lifted.... Also: why didn't Ireland resign from the UN after the 1st 100,000 dead ?

[@drorbenami4827]

@@clarity4444 not the majority But a lot

[@alexash1000]

God bless Americans who stands for justice.

[@declanmurphy6427]

Alexash, where are they?😢

[@albertoquinto3207]

Mr. Prime Minister, what Israel should hav done after Hamas attacked it on October 7? Any suggestion?

[@Transformers-oe5jj]

They certainly should NOT be murdering innocent unarmed civilians especially babies and children but hey you do support the endless murder of innocent babies and children don't you

[@Antoniazziluca1]

Netanyahu should have admitted that he made a mistake and it wouldn't happen again. Needed up security. Not massacre civilians in the name of 'human shields' this is a fabrication and proven not to be true.even President Herzog stated "All Palestinians are terrorists" Gallant said Israel was going to cut off "Water,food and electricity" to the entire population. Be strategic and target Hamas -Netanyahu wants to continue the war for his own personal and political gain. ISRAEL wants to incite the vigilance,don't want to negotiate a ceasefire,has the US 'over a barrel' coming up to election time. The US don't care about Palestinians,Lebanese. Can you imagine if JUST 4 Israelites were killed by the pagers?The US and the West would nearly send in NATO. Israel is a Zionist apartheid state and wants to slowly either exterminate or expul ALL Palestinians. Ev

[@princefaith6916]

He has no clue ...Just talk and talk and talk...They are allowed to open their borders for Hezbollah if he thinks they are normal people

[@stephendoherty981]

How about abiding by international law. That would be a good start. You can't just defend yourselves by engaging in war crimes.

[@Transformers-oe5jj]

@@stephendoherty981 Bravo 👌 This guy Albert supporting crimes against humanity is a troll He's reporting and deleting replys to his inhuman deception and propaganda

[@shshshshsh]

How does "from the river to the sea" work with a 2 state salution?? Is it a bit colonialist, to tell us what to do and to infintile palestinians.. as some what of this pure 'noble savge'. Isn't this just Britain, being Britain?

[@singa68]

What is Ireland? Who cares.

[@Theabok853]

The biggest question inall of this Israël has the right to defend itself in the light of internatiointnal law is in which ways international laws jeopardize Israeli safety?

[@alisoninchausti1080]

What are you on about? 17 thousand Palestinian kids have been killed and still there are people calling it self defense? If you to need to so brutally violate international law to ‘defend yourself’, there’s something seriously wrong with your foreign policy/expansionist ambitions, as is the case.

[@oldbeatpete]

It would appear that 'defensive' means killing civilians.

[@Muslim08-nh2is]

@@alisoninchausti1080 +women/elderlies/disable/critical chronic illnesses patients ect its sickening +starvation

[@mikeg2306]

Maybe Hamass should have thought about that before they started the war. Wars are a lot easier to start than to end.

[@jutswheezie]

The UN has turned into a bad comedy show - there is hardly a place that gathers more antisemites in one place.

[@mahendradias1758]

Was he sleeping all these time?

[@gordonslambsauce7035]

?? Explain

[@JoseAngelFlores]

Hypocritically fails to mention that Israel actually warned, by text and telephone, to more than eighty thousand Lebanese living in those Hezbollah areas they bombed. I´d hope for Russia or any other country to do exactly the same when bombing Ukraine or other countries. He also fails to mention the countless times Hezbollah launched rockets and missiles to Israel for over a year without any provocation from Israel. Where´s this guy living?

[@siogbeagbideach]

O a text? That makes it okay then 🤡

[@irenedow4936]

And what about the warnings Egypt gave Israel, that a major terrorist event was going to happen??? Israel had a festival only meters away from a potential area of attack....on your bike Jose you are brain washed ....there is evidence that contradicts all your stupid statements. And if Israel were warning people before bombing then why can't war correspondence be left into the area and let freedom of press prove the morality of Israel ...I wonder why 🤔😬

[@donaldkasper8346]

"Escalating tensions" is supposed to make the piece newsworthy, but from what I can tell, tensions in the Middle East have been rising for 4500 years.

[@oldbeatpete]

... and it's ALWAYS been BOTH sides! (or, multiple sides, really).

[@michaelbrennan3580]

Nonsense Jews, Christians and Arabs lived peacefully in Palestine for many years...until the dogs the Zionists came along. Free Palestine

[@stevealkana3422]

Stick to shamrocks

[@gerryhanly3194]

Shamrocks are better than genocide muppet

[@alontrigger]

This is so hypocritical. Disgusting!

[@edwarddarcy6179]

In what way

[@rahmanrahmani2896]

Long live Irland for standing on the right side of history and for being the voice of voiceless Palestinians who are subjected to death, destruction, displacement, and suffering for more than 76 years by Israel and its backer Biden and his administration .etc! Keep up the good work for the sake of humanity! We are all one "human being"!

[@anonymoushuman8962]

This woman is terrible. She truly is bad. I heard what she said about Palestine and Lebanon. She’s just biased towards Israel but tries to come across as unbiased. CNN are absolutely terrible. It’s almost hillarious if it wasn’t so bad.

[@eirerep]

Not as bad as Sheilagh Fogarty on LBC radio uk. She's an absolute disgrace, apart from her pro Israeli stance, she can't string a sentence together, am am a a am, don't know how they get the jobs!! I feel great now that's of my chest.

[@stevemarler7039]

The United States taxpayer backed idf may turn Ireland into Gaza😮

[@eil11een]

stopped watching christiane years ago too anti semitic

[@Muslim08-nh2is]

anti arab muslims = anti semitic

[@jeb-1981]

She is married to a Hebrew .

[@James-o1h4m]

Leave it to the Irish to bring the troubles to the world!

[@stephendoherty981]

What garbage are you wittering on about?

[@baruchhashem49]

Simon Harris was the only one willing to take the chair Leo "boom boom" Varadker ran away from. He is widely considered the stupidest person in Irish politics

[@eirerep]

🤡

[@Asheroyal12]

See dem fighting for Power,but they know not the hour. Robert Nestor Marley