Oral Answers to Questions — The Executive Office – in the Northern Ireland Assembly am 2:30 pm ar 19 Chwefror 2024.
T8. Mr K Buchanan asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister whether the First Minister condemns the attacks on 7 October in Israel, which started a chain of events that we all witness each night on our televisions. (AQT 8/22-27)
I have done so previously.
Do you defend Israel's right to defend itself, or is there no alternative?
This is far too serious for petty games. It is far, far too serious for petty games. What is happening in Palestine and the Middle East requires a ceasefire, requires dialogue and requires all of us to lift our voice to call for an end to it. All sides — everybody in the Middle East — need it to stop. The bombardment every day of the people in Gaza — the Palestinian people — is horrendous and heartbreaking to watch, so we should all be very conscious of using our voice to call for peace and dialogue. To use our own example, we need to continue to have dialogue if we are to get to a peaceful solution, which is what we all want to see for the people in the Middle East.