John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

I rise with a heavy heart to speak on this motion. It is profoundly depressing to ponder the face of the Palestinian people. Like many other Irish people I have followed the events in the Middle East for many years and cannot but be moved by what is happening to the Palestinians. The close involvement of so many Irish people with an aid mission which was viciously and wantonly attacked by Israel helps to bring the matter that much closer to home.

I am appalled at Monday's dastardly actions by the Israeli Defence Forces. This was a blatant act of international piracy which involved the unlawful killing and kidnap of humanitarian workers carrying a cargo of mercy to a beleaguered people. Israel's behaviour is nothing short of outrageous. Prior to this week that country was already at odds with international law but these killings, kidnappings and blockades of humanitarian aid have sent the Israelis hurtling into total lawlessness and contempt for international law.

Amid my disillusionment, I take courage from a number of aspects of the matter. I am heartened by the genuine support and empathy shown to the Palestinian people by the vast majority of Irish citizens. I am proud to be part of a Government and a Parliament which are prepared to issue a strong and unequivocal condemnation of Israel's behaviour. I commend the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Martin, on the strong stance he has taken. Today the Dáil must send the strongest possible message of censure to the Israeli authorities. We must tell them that their actions are repugnant to all decent people in Ireland and across the world. We must insist on safe passage for the Irish vessel, the MV Rachel Corrie. I join other Deputies in wishing all on board her Godspeed.

This House demands the unconditional release of all Irish citizens and the other aid workers. We abhor the unlawful killing of nine aid activists and we send our sympathies to their families. Irish people's empathy with Palestine is based on our own sense of fair play and decency, as well as drawing on our historical experiences.

Monday's actions by Israel were a subset of the ongoing outrage of the blockade of Gaza, which has impeded post-war reconstruction and deprived people of urgently required food, medicine and other necessities to sustain human life and dignity. The United Nations has indicated that three quarters of the damage inflicted on Gaza in the 2009 war has not yet been repaired and that six in ten homes do not have enough food. Every day the ordinary, innocent people of Gaza have misery and privation foisted upon them.

Israel tells us that essential supplies sent via the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross prevent real suffering in Gaza but reports from aid workers, including Irish volunteers, tell a very different story. An Amnesty International report describes mass unemployment, extreme food insecurity and food price rises. Eight out of ten Gazans now depend on food aid. More than 90% of Gaza's factories are closed and exports have decreased significantly. Prior to the 2007 blockade of Gaza some 70 truckloads of merchandise were sent out of Gaza every day but since then only 260 truckloads in total have been recorded leaving the territory.

Many years ago, I went on a trip to Palestine with Deputy Ó Snodaigh and other Deputies have also witnessed the baffling and capricious behaviour of Israel's border guards as they insult and humiliate the Palestinian people. In this instance I am baffled about how the Israeli authorities classify goods for banning on the basis of potential military use. Banned goods include musical instruments, chocolate, pens, biscuits, crisps, jam and fresh meat. I fail to see any relevance beyond a vindictive and bloody-minded intent on the part of the Israeli authorities.

I understand it is Israel's aim to crush Hamas, which runs Gaza, but its actions are a collective punishment of all, including the majority of innocent Palestinians. This is not only illegal; it is vastly counterproductive. The practical and inevitable outcome is that the ordinary population is becoming even more dependent on Hamas and its smuggling networks. Hamas takes revenue from goods smuggled through hundreds of tunnels running under Gaza's border with Egypt. This dependence compounds the anger and frustration which drives young Palestinian people to make common cause with fanatics hell-bent on violence. When I visited Bethlehem University, in the West Bank, I was told that many students are radicalised and become members of Hamas by their second year. This response is understandable when one sees the pressures to which they are subjected.

This Israeli-driven vicious circle is reminiscent of the ham-fisted attempts by the British authorities to crack down on terrorism on this island.

Israel's outrageous acts risk being a recruitment sergeant for al-Qaeda just as Maggie Thatcher's wrong-headed policies drove young people to join the Provos in the 1980s. Deputies should not in any way misunderstand me; I utterly condemn Hamas's acts of violence, just as I condemn those of Israel.

We must recognise that Hamas is a democratically elected Government in Gaza, which is something of a rarity across the Middle East generally. It is hard not to suspect Israel's blockade of Gaza is a deliberate attempt to sabotage viable government in Gaza. Sometimes I fear it is a cynical attempt by Israel to stop any meaningful peace negotiations before they get off the ground, an approach based on the view that "We are ready to talk but there is nobody on the other side because they are too busy fighting".

In the narrowest sense, Israel may claim Monday's event as some sort of victory. The Free Gaza flotilla has been thwarted and the blockade of Gaza remains intact. Few beyond the most fanatical of Israelis will see matters in this light. The stark reality is that this Israeli action was a total outrage. Today, we in Ireland are making clear that Israel has gone too far. I urge the United Nations and the Quartet to join us in sending this clear and strong message to Israel and her Government.

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