Samuel Beckett, Banville’s greatest literary influence, was a member of the French Resistance, but then Beckett was a lot of things John Banville will never be 💅

…destruction contradicts claims of belonging… “No one native to that region would ever cut down, would not have the heart to cut down an olive tree,” ~ Susan Abulhawa Colin Sheridan Irish Examiner ☕️🥐

People are counting on us forgetting.

Earlier today, a number of harvesters, accompanied by dozens of individuals, arrived to conduct an uncoordinated olive harvest in an area near Beitar Illit. Harvesting in this area requires a request to be submitted to the relevant authorities in advance of the start of the olive harvest season. This coordination is necessary to ensure the security of the area and maintain public order. Due to the security risk posed by conducting an uncoordinated harvest near an Israeli community, IDF soldiers, Border Police forces in Judea and Samaria, and officers from the Judea and Samaria District Police arrived at the scene and detained those present. The landowner was informed that he must coordinate the olive harvest on his plot of land and was provided with the relevant contact information to arrange a harvest at a later date. It should be emphasized that authorized olive harvests have taken place and continue to take place. To date, approximately 100 coordinated harvests have been conducted across Judea and Samaria, yielding many dozens of tons of produce, with security provided and coordination by the security forces, without any unusual incidents. In areas designated for coordinated harvesting, only harvesters will be permitted to enter, solely for the purpose of harvesting. As in previous years, security forces are working to facilitate a safe and orderly olive harvest season, with a firm commitment to enabling harvesting without unusual incidents or interruptions, alongside their ongoing defensive and counterterrorism missions.

OPEN LETTER: Sally Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist. Her books must be available to the public. Their withdrawal from sale, on the basis of ill-conceived and draconian anti terror legislation, is an affront to basic principles of free speech and expression so long taken for granted in this country. We categorically reject censorship - whether direct or indirect - and urge the government to change course, amending the legislation which has led us to this point of repressive absurdity.

Ironically, Rushdie has been silent on the targeted killing of hundreds of 🇵🇸 authors and journalists, on the most repressive crackdown on free speech in the US since the McCarthy era, and on the arrest of UK writers for supporting Palestine Action Freedom of expression for me…

Sally Rooney's books can no longer be sold in Britain due to her support for Palestine Action. She refused to withdraw her support for the direct action group which targeted the Israeli arms industry, costing her the royalties from all of her UK sales. theguardian.com/uk-news/2026…

Sally Rooney says she's being forced to withdraw books from sale in the UK because of her support for Palestine Action irishexaminer.com/news/arid-…

Ireland stands with Palestine. But is solidarity enough? Do government policies reflect the principles of the Irish people? My latest for @theprogressive, featuring insights from @Trickstersworld, @ClimateCiaran, @colinivan and @RoryHearneGaffs. 🇮🇪🇵🇸 progressive.org/testing-irel…

The only relevant truth about Oct 7: UN Resolution 3246 “reaffirms the legitimacy of the peoples’ struggle for liberation from colonial and foreign domination and alien subjugation by all available means, including armed struggle.”

“Apparently fundamentalism becomes considerably less alarming when the preacher has a US flag behind him” ~Colin Sheridan Irish Examiner ☕️🥐