Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I express the Green Party's outrage at the murder of the 60 people and the injuring of 700 others in Gaza yesterday. I turn to a subject about which I asked earlier today during questions on promised legislation.

It may help to put what is happening in a slightly wider context. I was thinking about this when I heard of the news yesterday. It was not surprising because this has been a flashpoint for the past month at least. A parliamentary delegation went from this House to Egypt a little over a year ago. We had a meeting with the Secretary General of the Arab League during the visit. His words were ringing in my ears yesterday. He remarked to us over a year ago that, whatever else happens, if the USA went ahead with its proposal to transfer the US embassy to Jerusalem, which was Donald Trump's election promise, it would ignite a fire from one end of the Middle East to the other. Moreover, he figured every third level student in every college would protest and fight against such a move. We knew that and our Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials were there too. I imagine the Americans knew it as well. It only leads me to the obvious conclusion that this is a deliberate act of antagonism. This is a deliberate act supposedly to show strength from one side, but it is a bullying strength and one that must be countered.

I agree with the Tánaiste that, in general in diplomatic circles and where we place ourselves in the world, it is best for us to try to stay in the room and maintain contact. I agree it is best to try to act as people to whom everyone can talk, even while holding to certain principles. At a certain point in dealing with a bullying organisation, however, which is what the US Administration is now, we have to put aside diplomacy, stand up and say that what has been done goes a step too far.

The decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem can be joined with the decision the previous week to abandon the nuclear deal that had been patiently constructed with Iran. The real and shocking horror I sense is not only the terrible tragedy for those people who lost their lives yesterday but the sense that there is the chance of war in the air as well. There is a sense that in the agenda of some people this spirit of antagonism would go so far. Given the record of some of the people in the US Administration in particular, that is not a far-fetched or irrational conclusion.

That is why we need to make our disgust and anger known to the Israeli Government, but we need to look at the bigger picture as well. As Europeans and in conjunction with our European allies, we need to look to see how we can restore some international order. I agree with the comments of the Tánaiste earlier. He said it was deeply dissatisfying to see the UN Security Council and how it works. If we try to put a motion or try to bring an action against such bullying to the council, we would be immediately stopped. A big game is still going on and certain powers have control over it.

It is up to the European Union to decide a course of action. The Union was established on the basis that we do not want to go back to war but rather pursue collaboration by peaceful means. We need to stand firm at this point. We need to say that this is so far beyond the pale of what is acceptable that we cannot simply continue to be nice and diplomatic and polite about it. It is a time to consider in real detail what actions we will take.

I am unsure whether the General Affairs Council is meeting. Obviously this matter will be discussed at the European Council tomorrow. I believe our role in those discussions should be to use the leverage we have, because we are decent honest brokers. We have good connections in the Middle East. We have particularly good connections with the Arab world. These are connections some of our European colleagues do not have. We should act as an interlocutor. There may be different views in the Arab world but we should say that on the part of the European Union, these antagonistic and warlike acts cannot go unanswered and we have to respond to them. We should do that as the Union. That would give us strength. We should be vocal and upfront. We should not only be diplomatic. It is time to stand up to the bullying that is going on.

See this speech in context