Debate contribution: Gaza: Worsening Situation
Debate contribution by Mr Robbie Butler on .
- MLA
- Mr Robbie Butler
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 12 May 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Matters of the Day
- Heading
- Gaza: Worsening Situation
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4937276
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for tabling the Matter of the Day, because it is of deep consequence, and it should be of deep consequence to every one of us.
When we think back to the actions of the past couple of years in the Middle East, particularly in Israel and Palestine, if you are not moved, angered, disappointed and, at times, horrified, you have a heart of stone. It is a deeply complex region, but what is not complex is humanity. What is not complicated is sanctity of life. What is not up for debate is the fact that too many have suffered. Often, in our media and sometimes politically in the Chamber, we are accused of taking sides and of trying to pit one side against the other: I do not think that that has been the case, when we look at the conflict that is there. What is going on at the moment, however, which is the failure of aid to reach those innocent hundreds and thousands, is simply unacceptable. I think particularly of the children whom we read about and whose faces we have seen, who have been so deeply affected. They have either lost their life or their home and perhaps their future. That does not bode well for the future. All those in that region who have acted irresponsibly have set themselves up for an eternal conflict, but that does not need to be the case. I do not mean this in a facetious sense, but, when we think about our conflict here, we find that it was never going to be resolved by anything but talking — sitting down in a room and working out differences with a commitment to strictly peaceful means going forward. We should send a message from the Chamber that the only route to lasting peace is to talk, end all hostilities and respond with the return of all hostages and those on both sides of the conflict who have been held away from their home for far too long. In the meantime, however, we need to see the restoration of power, clean water, food and medicines to those who are suffering and the innocent people who are paying the price for acts of terror. Let us hope that those who are listening and who have the ear of those in power in the Middle East can act so that we can see real change as quickly as possible.
409 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: 0.08 (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 (0.85).
- 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 | 0.08 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.03 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.04 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.05 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.28 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.08 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.85 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.02 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.13 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.50 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.14 |
| Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism | 0.12 |
| Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice) | 0.11 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.08 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:22 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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