Education minister says he has been 'vilified' over Israel trip

Paul Givan has faced criticism for travelling to Israel last week for what he described as a "fact-finding mission"

Education Minister Paul Givan has said he has been "vilified" over his recent visit to Israel.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) minister was among a group of unionist politicians who went on a six-day tour of the country, at the invitation of the Israeli government.

Gerry Carroll, from People Before Profit (PBP), has submitted a motion of no confidence in Givan, which has been backed by both Sinn Féin and the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).

But the motion would have no power to remove a DUP minister from office without the support of its leader, Gavin Robinson, who has said Givan is "going nowhere".

Givan has faced criticism over the trip from some political parties and the body which represents Northern Ireland's main teaching unions.

On Saturday, PBP staged a protest against the minister outside Belfast City Hall.

Gerry Carroll, from PBP, is leading calls for a no confidence vote against Paul Givan in the Northern Ireland Assembly

In a Facebook post, Givan said he has been "vilified by those who have sought to call into question my character and my commitment to the people of Northern Ireland".

"I will continue to represent the people of Lagan Valley and Northern Ireland with the same energy and enthusiasm that I have always brought to public life," he added.

The delegation on the Israel visit also included Givan's DUP colleague Sammy Wilson; Steve Aiken from the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Ron McDowell from the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV).

During the trip, they received a briefing from Israel's foreign ministry; visited a Holocaust memorial; met victims of Hamas and toured Ofek School in Jerusalem.

After photos of the school visit were shared by the Department of Education, the Northern Ireland Teachers' Council (NITC) said the department "should be politically neutral" and called for promotion of his visit to be removed from its sites.

NITC said it was "deeply troubling" that the education minister accepted an invitation to a state accused of genocide - a claim that Israel denies.

No confidence motion

The no confidence motion would be non-binding - a type of debate that allows members to express their opinions on a topic but does not force action.

Carroll says the motion is currently being considered by the Stormont Business Office.

It needs the signatures of at least 30 assembly members to force a debate.

Sinn Féin has 27 elected representatives in Stormont.

On Saturday, its assembly member Deirdre Hargey confirmed the party will support the PBP motion.

She said Givan's actions had undermined public confidence in his ability to serve in office.

"The education minister's decision to travel to Israel and use departmental resources to promote that trip is both inappropriate and unacceptable," she said.

Hargey also attended Saturday's rally and said Sinn Féin "will look at all options to hold the education minister to account".

It appears Carroll will secure the support he needs as the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), which has eight assembly members, also said it backs the motion.

The party said it is "willing to use our Opposition Day time on Monday 10 November to ensure it is debated as soon as possible".

'Unionists will not be bullied'

On Saturday, in a post on X, DUP leader Robinson said: "Paul Givan is going nowhere. Unionists will not be bullied by the whims of the pan-republican front.

"I choose who serves as a DUP minister and whatever about the faux outrage and petty politicking, Paul has my full support."

He later issued a statement saying that Sinn Féin and PBP "can huff and buff all they like" but "they will not be dictating to me about who I appoint to serve as a minster from the Democratic Unionist Party".

It is estimated a crowd of up to 300 people attended Saturday's Givan Must Go protest

Protesters at Saturday's rally included Gaza solidarity activists, education workers, community groups and political representatives.

Addresing the rally, teacher Brendan Morgan said: "I feel that many people in the teaching profession don't have confidence in the education minister.

"It's not representing all teachers. It's a very, very political thing."

Also at the rally, Margaret Deevy, from Mothers Against Genocide, said: "We look to our education minister for leadership, for guidance - he has absolutely fallen short here."

On 7 October 2023, 251 people were abducted during a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that left 1,200 others dead.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 68,500 people have been killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.