Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Mar aon leis na Teachtaí a labhair romham, ba mhaith liom comhbhrón ó chroí a leathadh le clanna na ndaoine a maraíodh maidin inné. Ba mhaith liom chomh maith mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Aire as ucht an rún seo a chur faoi bhráid na Dála inniu mar tá sé tábhachtach go ndéileáileann muid sa Dáil le seo go beo. Tá sé tábhachtach freisin go gcloisfidh Iosrael go díreach cáineadh ó Pharlaimint na hÉireann.

Ba mhaith liom chomh maith an ionsaí marfach seo a rinne fórsaí Iosrael ar an long ar a raibh mise le taisteal uirthi i dtreo Gaza chun cúnamh daonna a thabhairt do mhuintir Gaza a cháineadh go huile agus go hiomlán. Bhí mise le bheith ar an long, an MV Mavi Marmara. Ar bealach amháin, is trua nach raibh mé air, ach ar an dtaobh eile is mór an faoiseamh dom é nach raibh mé ar bord maidin inné. Is í an MV Mavi Marmara an long a d'fhulaing an chuid is mó den ionsaí marfach ó saighdiúrí-commandos Iosraeil. Níor éirigh liomsa ná leis an Seanadóir Mark Daly ná leis an Teachta Chris Andrews oileán na Cipire a fhágaint. Maidir le sin, tá ceisteanna le freagairt ag Rialtas na Cipire faoi na coscanna a chur sé orainn agus ar Teachtaí ó Pharlaimintí eile imeacht ón oileán. Fillfidh mé ar sin lá eile, mar ní seo an lá chun déileáil le sin. There has been a murderous attack on brave citizens travelling to an area in which a man-made humanitarian crisis is unfolding - it is man-made because it has been caused by Israel. The helicopter and heavily armed commandoes on board a ship, in the dead of night, which was ferrying supplies and humanitarian workers to Gaza had only one guaranteed consequence, that is, death and injury. It is to be regretted that is what happened yesterday morning. It was, therefore, a premeditated, murderous attack. It was an act of piracy against the citizens of several countries, including Ireland. It was also an act of war. It has been compounded by the kidnapping and illegal detention of hundreds of people. It is further compounded by the blatant lies from Israel's spin machine, lies which have been repeated on the airwaves in Ireland for the past 24 hours and more.

I commend this motion to the House. I would have gone further and demanded immediate action rather than making it conditional on Israel's response to these calls because, as we have said in this House, we have been here before. Not so many months ago we were here because of the actions of Mossad, the Israeli secret service, in abusing passports. We were here before last year, when Israel was bombarding Gaza, a city which I visited a few months before Operation Cast Lead. I would have gone further and demanded diplomatic actions and the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador. I would also have gone further than the Minister has in demanding that the Israeli authorities allow the Irish-owned vessel the MV Rachel Corrie into Gaza, a point to which I will return. I would have demanded that if Israel did not take this action and lift the siege of Gaza that the international community would prepare another flotilla, this time with the backing of the international navies and the naval protection required, and send it in to declare that the international community is not willing to sit back and allow ships to be attacked in such a fashion in international waters.

It is interesting, as we are talking here today, that the champions of Israel in this House are conspicuous by their absence. They are the champions not of Israel itself but of Israel's murderous actions in Palestine. They have been absent during this debate and from the House since the Order of Business finished. Is Deputy Kenny speaking on behalf of all the Deputies of his party when he speaks on and endorses this motion? We will probably hear more about that in due course.

I will set the context of the flotilla which I, along with two other Members of the Oireachtas, was to join. In 2008 I was glad to be asked to travel on a boat from Cyprus to Gaza, along with Deputy Chris Andrews and a number of other parliamentarians from other European Union Parliaments. We travelled into the Palestinian region of Gaza and brought with us a small amount of medical supplies - it was not much because of the cramped conditions on board the boat. In October 2008 we saw the conditions in which the Palestinian people were living, something to which people who have visited before and since have alluded. We met various groups and held briefings with the head of operations in the region, John Ging, who has been mentioned before - it was the first time I met him. I remember being impressed by his presentation.

I was struck by the deprivation he outlined and I saw the effect of the embargo, the blockade and siege which were imposed by the Israeli state on the 1.5 million people living in an area the size of County Louth. He said, and many others have said since, including the Minister, that the blockade can be equated to collective punishment, something with which I concur. I have repeated the phrase many times since because collective punishment is illegal under international law. Since I left Gaza one and a half years ago, the situation has not improved. In fact, it has become much worse due in no small part to the murderous attacks by the Israeli military during its onslaught in Operation Cast Lead in December 2008 and January 2009 when it bombarded the city, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,300 people, many of hundreds of whom were civilians and children.

It indiscriminately bombed civilian targets, used white phosphorous, attacked Red Cross ambulances, used civilians as human shields and then compounded all of that by reinforcing the siege on the region. Despite the devastation of aerial bombardment which destroyed what was left of the civilian infrastructure following on from previous attacks, no reconstruction aid has been allowed into Gaza. Despite the fact that hospitals, schools and sewerage and water works were destroyed, cement has not been allowed into Gaza to make good or at least try to repair some of the damage. Paper is not allowed in. Wheelchairs are not deemed to be humanitarian aid. There is much more which Israel determines is humanitarian aid; the list is quite extensive. A city is under siege. Supplies which I and others involved in the Free Gaza movement were bringing to Gaza were no more than humanitarian aid.

In October 2008 it was decided that, having been successful in gaining entry by one small boat, we would try to put together a larger flotilla. I congratulate all of those who put together the flotilla and the effort and donations, in particular, from Ireland to prepare and buy the MV Rachel Corrie for the trip. The flotilla which came together and which was under attack yesterday morning was that idea in fruition. There were nine ships with 10,000 tonnes of aid heading to Gaza to relieve a city under siege. It is medieval, as the Minister said, because one does not hear about a city under siege except in films or history books - the world seems to have forgotten it.

The time has come for consequences for those actions, which involve the systematic, clinical destruction of the civilian infrastructure, roads and factories. I visited the airport when I was there and there is absolutely nothing left of it. I visited the only electricity generating plant which is supplied by oil paid for by the European Union. The Israelis did not let that oil into Gaza. I visited hospitals which could not function because the supplies required were held up at the border or were not being let in. I also visited schools which did not have copybooks. I visited food distribution centres, one of which was destroyed during the aerial bombardment. I met fishermen and farmers who could not carry out their daily activities because they were under attack. These actions must have consequences and action must be taken at some stage. We have repeatedly threatened sanctions but we have not gone any further. Israel could in fact say that it is being rewarded for its actions. The Minister must be sorry for his decision, only a few weeks ago, to allow Israel to join the OECD when we could have used our veto to temporarily block its accession. This would have had the result of denying Israel another international platform from which to boast about its actions.

The time has come to suspend the international trade agreement between the EU and Israel. This agreement includes clauses upholding human rights and international law. Every time we hold a debate about Israel in this House it is because it has breached these rights and laws. When will the Government start the process of suspending or ending the preferential trade agreement? I have congratulated the Minister on his stance because he has gone beyond his European counterparts but he should seriously consider calling for sanctions.

The siege on Gaza is unjust and inhumane, and it increases insecurity in the region. Israel does not realise this for some reason, perhaps because of an internal political agenda, but collective punishment should not be imposed at all, let alone because of internal problems within Israel.

I take this opportunity to express my best wishes to all the Irish citizens who were involved in the flotilla and are now under arrest. I wish those who are sailing on the Rachel Corrie God speed. I hope the lesson that the Israelis learned from yesterday morning is that they cannot attack humanitarian aid convoys with impunity. I ask the Minister to do everything in his power to ensure the ship is protected as it enters Gaza with its cargo of humanitarian aid.

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