Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Does the Minister not accept there is no pressure on the Israeli Government? There certainly is none from the United States or the European Union, which has awarded Israel favourable trading status. As we sit in this Chamber, a massive military attack on the people of Gaza is taking place. In recent days an Israeli Minister is on record as having said that families in Gaza should have their water, food, electricity and fuel cut off as a collective punishment for resisting the Israeli invasion at the weekend. This is the Government with which we are dealing. There is no pressure. The Minister is applying pressure but there is none coming from the European Union. The situation between the Palestinians and the Israelis will not be resolved internally. There is a need for an outside power to act. What is happening is unequal. People need to wake up to the fact that things are getting worse. Life is untenable for people living in that region of the world and no pressure is being applied, unfortunately.

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