Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I am not sure what the reference was to Arab states. I am sure the Minister was just being flippant because I would not be trying to follow the standards set by Arab states, quite frankly, particularly those who have remained either silent or complicit in what Israel has been doing in Palestine.

The truth of the matter is that the term "governed by the rules of international law" is a get-out clause for virtually every state actor in the world. We know that is what Israel has been doing and arguing. The truth of the matter is that a member of the IDF who is in Gaza today could get leave next month, come over to Ireland on their holidays or whatever the case may be and, to use the term of the debate on section 3 that we are using later on, can glorify the actions of the IDF. That person could actually be on every broadcast media channel celebrating the actions of the IDF and there is nothing in our domestic legislation that would lead to a prosecution. If a person did the same, coming from a non-state terrorist organisation, they would be held liable under the Act and that is the reason I will press my amendments.

Again, I ask the Minister to consider either adopting and supporting my amendments at this Stage, and then if there is need for further amendment on Report Stage I am sure that the committee, and its members, will be willing to work with him on that. Otherwise, what we basically have is the transposition of an EU directive that kowtows to a narrative that terrorist activities are actually conducted by non-state actors alone. If anyone should know better then it should be the Irish Houses of Parliament in terms of how we approach that because we know that very oftentimes, state actors can actually be the greatest terrorists of them all.