Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We were all relieved to hear news on Friday morning of a ceasefire in Gaza after 11 days of bombardment and slaughter. More than 250 people were killed, the overwhelming majority of whom were Palestinian, including at least 65 Palestinian children. Gaza was subjected to the targeted shelling of houses and vital infrastructure like roads, electricity and water networks. There is nothing new in that.

The Palestinian people are forced to live under an apartheid regime. Gaza is an open-air prison enforced by the Israeli occupier. The Palestinian people are subjected to blockades, checkpoints, a lack of access to basic amenities like water and electricity and every possible abuse of human rights imaginable.

Israel continues to steal Palestinian land and homes, while displacing people on a daily basis. The people of Gaza have endured unimaginable suffering. Here in Ireland we need to show leadership and take a stand. We have a seat at the UN Security Council, and that brings with it a responsibility to stand against this inhumane and unjust regime. We cannot be there to just make up the numbers. Weak statements with no teeth simply are not good enough.

A start would be to recognise the state of Palestine. A Sinn Féin motion was passed in December 2014 calling on the Government to recognise the state of Palestine and over six years later, no action has been taken. The Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill has been dropped by the Government, even though Fianna Fáil and the Green Party supported it before they were in power.

We have to take a stand to support the Palestinian people and hold Israel to account. As a Parliament we have to take a united stand against Israel’s apartheid regime and continued land seizures. Civic society and the Irish people are behind this. We have to unite and do the right thing for Palestine.

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