Debate contribution: Gaza Ceasefire Agreement
Debate contribution by Mr Paul Givan on .
- MLA
- Mr Paul Givan
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 13 October 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Matters of the Day
- Heading
- Gaza Ceasefire Agreement
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5175370
Read the official Assembly record
Text
We remember October 7, when thousands of Hamas terrorists invaded the state of Israel. Over 1,200 victims were murdered, slaughtered — women and babies — by terrorism. Hundreds were taken hostage, held captive in the dungeons of Gaza. Israel rightly responded and mobilised the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). To the men and women of the IDF, we say, "Thank you". Israel and the rest of the world owe them a debt of gratitude for the work that they have carried out. They have decimated Hamas, and terrorists such as Al-Zawahiri have gone to face judgement in eternity. The Iranian nuclear arms have been destroyed — thank you, Mr Trump, for Operation Midnight Hammer, which destroyed their nuclear facilities. The Houthi leadership has been taken out. Hezbollah bleeped into eternity when their pagers went off. Thank you to the IDF. The lands of Canaan were given to the people of Israel by God. It is the Promised Land, surrounded by enemies, the only democracy in the Middle East. Dictatorship and authoritarian regimes abound in those Arab nations, which refused to open their borders to the people of Gaza to let them in. Israel, a diverse community — a pluralist, liberal community, because it is the only democracy in the Middle East — was failed by the United Nations. It was let down. It was let down by the Republic of Ireland and let down by the United Kingdom, who both recognised a Hamas-led Palestinian state. President Trump made the difference. He has delivered peace through strength. The operations in Iran, the work with the Arab nations — he brought them to the table and secured the concessions from Hamas. We now have hope for a better future for the people of Israel and a better future for the people of Gaza, free from the tyranny of terrorists who used their own people as human shields. There was no genocide. There was terrorism that used its own people. We are commanded to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. There is a season for everything; a time for peace and a time for war. I trust that the time for war is over and that we will now have that time for peace.
370 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Not flagged on a second assessment, because Jev’s answers did not settle it. The reasons are given below.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.42 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- Criteria met: Identity framing (0.88); Dog-whistle messaging (0.61).
- The text adopts the identity-based framing in its own voice (0.91).
- Subject area: Another identity-related subject.
- The answers did not meet either automatic 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.
Second assessment
Jev’s answers did not settle this record, so a second model, claude-opus-5-5, read the same text (without the MLA’s name or party) and gave its reasons on 21 October 2026. How the second assessment works
- Verdict
- Not flagged
- Public interest or divisiveness
- Mixed
Against the published rubric
The contribution takes a strong side on a foreign conflict. It thanks the IDF and President Trump, says "There was no genocide", and grounds Israel's claim in the land being "given to the people of Israel by God". The rubric treats taking a side on, or disputing the facts of, a foreign conflict as outside culture-war activity unless it is mapped onto communities in Northern Ireland or portrays a people or faith as a group in a hostile way. The text does neither: its criticism of the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom concerns their governments' recognition of a Palestinian state, and its criticism of "Arab nations" is aimed at regimes, not peoples. The celebratory tone about deaths, such as Hezbollah "bleeped into eternity", is provocative but is directed at armed groups rather than any community.
Public interest or divisiveness
This is a partisan statement of solidarity rather than scrutiny of anything the Assembly or a department must decide. Its gloating tone and flat denial of genocide on a subject that divides opinion here sharply are likely to inflame. It also welcomes the ceasefire, hopes for "a better future for the people of Gaza" and closes with a wish for peace, and it does not turn the conflict against any group in Northern Ireland. The divisive and conciliatory elements are both substantial, so the overall effect is mixed.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.88 | Yes |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.56 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.04 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.61 | Yes |
| Controversy escalation | 0.45 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.08 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.42 | Between thresholds |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing | 0.09 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it (chosen) | 0.91 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice) | 0.94 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.03 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.01 |
| Immigration, asylum, race, ethnicity and Travellers | 0.01 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.01 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:27 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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