Israeli attack on flotilla like Bloody Sunday, says Adams

In a wide-ranging interview, Adams also discusses his relationship with Ian Paisley, throws cold water on suggestions of a Fianna Fáil-Sinn Fein coalition, and dismisses dissident Republicans.

"When I heard about the killings on the first ship, it reminded me a wee bit of the first time I heard about Bloody Sunday," Adams tells Hot Press in the new issue, out tomorrow (Thursday). "Our own government should expel the Israeli ambassador… "

Adams also discusses his relationship with the former First Minister in the Northern Ireland power-sharing government, Ian Paisley. "Ian Paisley was here (in Leinster House) joking with Caoimhín Ó Caoláin and the rest of the people. He was obviously quite happy and enjoying it... Any meetings I've had with him, he's always been very respectful and wise … I think he deserves great credit."

And in relation to a potential coalition with Fianna Fail, Adams is sceptical: "You can't have a 32-county republic without an end to partition, but if ever there was a time for Republican politics in this State it's now. The leadership of Fianna Fáil have been the main agents of totally undermining and revising what Republicanism is about."

He then dismisses the activities of dissident Republicans - "The support base across the island is minimal. I couldn't give you statistics but you're talking about it being a tiny sliver of the population. In areas that I represent in Belfast they don't have any popular support whatsoever. In fact there's very active opposition."

To read this in-depth and revealing interview in full, see the new issue of Hot Press (Cathy Davey on cover) out tomorrow (Thursday, June 17).