Member's statement: Gaza War: Ceasefire
Member's statement by Mr Paul Frew on .
- MLA
- Mr Paul Frew
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 20 January 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Gaza War: Ceasefire
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4744166
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I rise also to applaud the efforts that have been made over the last weeks and months to create a ceasefire in Gaza and to talk about the release of hostages and the fact that there is absolutely no reason why Israeli hostages are still in captivity. There is no excuse for that. However, a deal has been brokered that some of the families have applauded the Trump Administration for, so credit where credit is due. The deal was on the table last year. A deal has been done, and we pray that people will get respite from the war and all the horrors that war brings on a people, especially the innocent civilians in any given area. The three hostages who have been released are Doron Steinbrecher, Romi Gonen and Emily Damari. I had the privilege and honour of meeting Emily's mother, Mandy, six months into her daughter's captivity. That was a meeting that will never leave me. What I witnessed that day was the complete numbness of not wanting to think the worst but not daring to hope for the best. Emily has, however, been reunited with her mother, Mandy, and we are grateful for answered prayers. Emily's recovery has only started. She has had 471 days in captivity, held by Hamas terrorists. I pray for her recovery and for all the hostages who will have to recover. We know that she has lost fingers on her left hand, but that is only the damage that we can see. I pray that she will get the best treatment and care possible to recover from her ordeal. She spent 471 days in captivity. Can we remember our last 471 days and how we enjoyed the freedoms that we have and take for granted? Think of the ordeal that the hostages continue to go through, and it is not just adults but babies and toddlers who are being kept captive by Hamas terrorists. There is no excuse, and those young people — those human beings — should be released immediately.
340 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.11 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.70).
- Subject area: Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.15 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.08 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.06 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.08 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.18 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.11 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.70 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.12 |
| Adopts it | 0.18 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice) | 0.40 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.32 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.16 |
| Immigration, asylum, race, ethnicity and Travellers | 0.04 |
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.03 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:46 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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