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

Much has happened following Sinn Féin's Private Members' motion which called on the Government to recognise the state of Palestine and which was passed unopposed in the Dáil on 10 December 2014. Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu has since been re-elected as Prime Minister of Israel. He has overseen the illegal blockade and mediaeval siege of Gaza, the building of an apartheid wall in Palestine, the construction of more illegal colonial settlements in east Jerusalem and on the West Bank and the wholesale destruction of Gaza during a brutal 50-day bombardment in 2014 and an eight-day bombardment in 2012 in which collectively nearly 2,500 Palestinians were killed and over 10,000 injured. During the course of the election campaign Mr. Netanyahu clearly stated he would never recognise the state of Palestine and peace negotiations have gone nowhere. Ireland needs to swiftly put itself on the right side of history and join the vast majority of countries, 136, that have recognised the state of Palestine.

We know that consensus will not be reached at European level and that Palestinians cannot wait for it. Sweden has recognised this and its new government took that step. It took years at EU level to introduce the labelling of settlement goods. The Irish people have shown huge solidarity with and support for the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. Tens of thousands of people across the island have taken part in demonstrations in support of the Palestinian people. Will the Government recognise the state of Palestine before its term ends? It is a simple question.

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