Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ar dtús báire ba mhaith liom mo chomhbhrón féin agus comhbhrón Shinn Féin a chur in iúl do mhuintir na Palaistíne i ndiaidh an tslada uafásach a rinneadh orthu inné. Caithfidh an Rialtas gníomhú agus ba chóir dó ambasadóir Iosrael a dhíbirt ón tír agus aitheantas a thabhairt do stát na Palaistíne.

What happened in Gaza yesterday was a massacre. There is no other way to describe it. Anybody who witnessed the scenes on television or read of the terrible atrocity that happened there will agree. Live ammunition and tear gas were used against unarmed Palestinians who were demanding their right to return to the homes and villages they were expelled from in 1948. We now know that 58 people have been killed as a result of the actions of the Israeli forces, including six children, and 2,700 have been injured. It is shameful. On behalf of Sinn Féin, I wholeheartedly condemn the brutal and violent actions of the Israeli forces and I extend our solidarity to the Palestinian people at this time. Tá siad inár smaointe agus inár bpaidreacha ag an am seo.

The actions of Israel are undermining efforts to secure a sustainable and peaceful two-state solution and must be urgently challenged by the international community. Without sanction and without adequate diplomatic response, I fear more innocent civilians will be killed in the coming days. It is long past time that the international community, including the European Union, acted in this case. We see the ongoing Israeli aggression against and oppression of people who are defending their rights, the people of Palestine. The onus is not just on the international community but also on the Government to respond robustly. I understand the Tánaiste met with the Israeli ambassador this morning and urged restraint. Words are not enough. We need action and the Tánaiste should have told the Israeli ambassador it was time to pack his bags because there can be no impunity for Israeli's mass killings of Palestinian civilians and its continued illegal occupation of their territory.

In response to a British security assessment delivered to the Government by Boris Johnson that Russia was involved in the Salisbury attack in March, the Government acted quickly and expelled a Russian diplomat. We need an even more robust response in this scenario. Will the Government move to expel the Israeli ambassador to Ireland in response to these murders and the flagrant disregard of international law or will it turn a blind eye? Will the Taoiseach also recall the Irish ambassador to Israel in protest?

The Palestinian people need our solidarity now more than ever. This could be one of the bloodiest episodes we have ever witnessed if we continue to stand idly by. The Government must take action. It must also recognise the state of Palestine. A motion tabled by this party in 2014 received unanimous support. It similarly happened in the Seanad. Despite a commitment in the programme for Government, the Government has dragged its heels on the issue. I urge the Government at this critical time to make a stand for peace and progress in the Middle East, recognise the state of Palestine and expel the Israeli ambassador.

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