TAOISEACH SIMON HARRIS has condemned one of his party’s Dublin councillors for “offensive” and “entirely inappropriate” remarks she made about Jewish people and Israel.
The Fine Gael leader said he welcomed a move by the party to launch a disciplinary process into Punam Rane’s comments to address what happened.
Rane faced an immediate backlash after she claimed that the “entire US economy is ruled by the Jews, by Israel” at a Dublin City Council meeting on Monday night.
The comments came during a debate about a motion demanding that the Irish Government enact the Occupied Territories Bill, which would ban trade between Ireland and illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine.
Speaking to reporters in Washington ahead of his meeting with US president Joe Biden today, Harris said the councillor’s words deserved condemnation.
“The comments were utterly wrong, absolutely offensive, entirely inappropriate, and are fully condemned by me,” Harris said.
A spokesperson for Fine Gael has told The Journal that Rane’s comments have been referred to the party’s disciplinary procedures committee for an alleged breach of the “party pledge to not express prejudiced, stereotyped or discriminatory views”.
The statement said Rane had “withdrawn and apologised” for comments. “Councillor Punam Rane’s comments were unacceptable and fall below the standard expected of Fine Gael public representatives,” the spokesperson said.
Asked if Rane should consider her position in the party, Harris said he didn’t want to “cut across” and interfere with the disciplinary process.
“But the comments caused a lot of offense to a lot of people. I find them offensive,” the Taoiseach added.
“We have established a disciplinary process that needs to be swift and it needs to be robust. I think I’ve made my views very clear with my comments there, and to say any more than that would cut across that disciplinary process.”
Rane apologised for the remarks made at the monthly council meeting on Monday night following criticism from fellow councillors.
On social media the following morning, Rane said: “I completely withdraw my comments made at last night’s city council meeting in relation to a motion on the Occupied Territories Bill. It was wrong and I fully apologise for it.”
I completely withdraw my comments made at last night’s city council meeting in relation to a motion on the Occupied Territories Bill. It was wrong and I fully apologise for it.
— Cllr. Punam Rane-Fine Gael (@PunamRaneFG) October 8, 2024
She had claimed that the US economy and the country’s looming election would be at stake if Washington chose to intervene with Israel’s offensive.
She said: “America should’ve taken a stance. But how many of you know that the entire US economy today is ruled by the Jews, by Israel. They will never be able to take a stance.”
Immediately after she spoke during the monthly council meeting, People Before Profit’s Conor Reddy asked Fine Gael Lord Mayor James Geoghegan to request that Rane clarify her remarks about “the Jews controlling the American economy”.
A common antisemitic trope is to suggest that Jewish people run the world or control the media.
Reddy told the gathering that Rane’s comments were “tremendously unhelpful” and that councillors were speaking “in solidarity with Palestine” and needed to “stand against antisemitism”.
He added: “To equate Judaism and Zionism is a complete fallacy. It’s wrong.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say