By Eniola Amadu
Northern Ireland’s Education Minister, Paul Givan justified the use of departmental resources to publicise images from his visit to a school in Jerusalem, saying that the engagement was “entirely non-political.”
The minister added that he is a “minister for all” and he won’t be “cancelled”.
This follows as a motion of no confidence in his role as minister is expected to be tabled at Stormont later, after his six-day trip to Israel.
The motion has been presented by Gerry Carroll of People Before Profit (PBP) with support from Sinn Féin, the SDLP and the Alliance Party.
In a chat with BBC’s The Nolan Show, Givan revealed that the tour “came at no cost to the tax payer, at all”.
According to Givan, “I would challenge anybody to point out within the statement that was released through my department, any commentary of a political nature in relation to Israel,”.
“It was entirely non-political in terms of that aspect of the trip, which obviously, as Paul Givan the education minister I visited the school and it would seem entirely appropriate that would be highlighted by the department,” he added.
“I didn’t use the department to highlight any other aspect of this visit because I was there as a wider delegation, but it did obviously entail an element of it that related to my education remit.”
He then expressed his hope that he won’t “be silenced, I am not going to be cancelled.”
The DUP minister was among a group of unionist politicians who took part in the six-day visit, which was organised by the Israeli government.
The delegation also included DUP MP Sammy Wilson, the UUP’s Steve Aiken, and TUV councillor Ron McDowell.
During the trip, they were briefed by Israel’s foreign ministry, visited a Holocaust memorial, met victims of Hamas, and toured Ofek School in Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Council (NITC) has urged the education department to “be politically neutral”.
The People Before Profit (PBP) held a rally against the minister outside Belfast City Hall, attended by teachers, Gaza solidarity campaigners, community organisations and politicians.
Speaking on BBC’s The Nolan Show on Monday, PBP assembly member Gerry Carroll said the education minister’s credibility was “completely shot” following his visit to Israel.
According to him, he said “What I would say to the minister is do you understand how much anger you have caused by going to Israel and giving them cover?
“I have been inundated with hundreds of my constituents.
“I am sure it is the same for other MLAs, teachers’ unions are appalled at your actions.”
However, Givan responded, saying he “absolutely” feels like an “education minister for all”.
“People will point out process points, should I have done this and should I have done that, actually at its core what this is about is an anti-Israeli perspective from those who are being critical, it is the only Jewish nation in this world, they have nowhere else to go,” the minister said.
