Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that the Department is looking at it. It was only published last week. However, there is no escaping the conclusion - níl aon éalú ó nta conclúidí - that Israel is operating an apartheid system in respect of the Palestinians. Does the Taoiseach accept that conclusion, among other conclusions? What steps will he take with regard to the very practical recommendations? He said very little has changed; I am afraid quite a lot has changed. The apartheid regime has become entrenched. It is no longer just statements from various politicians. It has become entrenched in legislation, policy and practice, while the suffering of the Palestinian people has intensified.

The report was condemned by various spokespeople in Israel, including the foreign minister, before it was even published.

A respected former Deputy states:

Amnesty International used to be a globally respected international defender ... Today it distorts history, propagates the big lie that Israel is an apartheid state...

And so on. That is a respected former Deputy from Fine Gael setting out his response to this report. It does us no favours to equate questioning and criticism of Israeli policy with antisemitism. It does not serve the Jewish people or democracy and it is extremely dangerous.

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