David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister knows what is the right thing to do. For decades people in this State and on the island of Ireland have shown solidarity with the Palestinian people. Time and again, when we have massacres such as the recent one, we come into this Chamber and hear empathy and empty platitudes from Ministers but we do not see any real action. What we saw on our television screens yesterday, and what we saw in Jerusalem, was a massacre of Palestinian people. More than 100 people are dead, thousands are injured and more people could die. All that is a consequence of an absolutely crazy policy decision by the President of America, Donald Trump.

We can do something in this State. We can send solidarity to the Palestinian people. The Government has a duty to implement the will of the Dáil which supported recognising the state of Palestine, yet he will not do that. The Minister could send a clear message to the Palestinian people and this State could be a beacon of hope if we were to take the decision to expel the Israeli ambassador. That is not to make this State irrelevant, as the Taoiseach said earlier today. That would make Ireland entirely relevant. It would put us front and centre as a State which is prepared to take the necessary action to send a very clear unequivocal message to what is a rogue state, which is involved in state murder of Palestinians, and not just in recent days given that its murderous campaign goes back decades. Thousands of Palestinian people have been murdered, suffer in refugee camps and live in the open air prison that is Gaza.

I urge the Minister and the members of the Government to look into their hearts at what is happening in Gaza and not to turn a blind eye. They should not take the soft option. They should take a tough stand and make sure that those who are suffering at the moment and who are victims of state murder and terrorism can see there are people who care. There are people with compassion who are prepared to stand up to the bully state and the rogue state that is Israel. The Minister and the Government have an opportunity to do that and I appeal to them to do so.

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