Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There might be a little discretion, given that many speakers did not turn up. I will leave it to the Acting Chairman, Deputy Murnane O'Connor.

I listened to the Minister's speech. He spoke about being deeply troubled and about matters being "acutely worrying". He said "I am seriously concerned", and words to that effect. I note the Department is examining the report. If a busy Deputy can read the report, I am sure the Department can read the report quicker than it is reading it. The Minister might have had some reaction to it tonight because it is utterly damning. I say that reluctantly because I stand in solidarity with the Jewish people on what they have suffered.

What is happening to the Palestinian people has been set out clearly in the report. They look at the different segments - the occupied territories and areas A, B and C. They look at East Jerusalem, at Gaza and at a citizen within Israel. It is a nuanced report. It is set out. I have read every word of it. The report sets out their conclusions and recommendations. I would like to hear from the Minister what he has to say in relation to it. We know what the Taoiseach is saying. The Taoiseach is uncomfortable with the word "apartheid". The Minister does not think it advances the issue but actually this is what Amnesty is saying, which is more important. Amnesty is not saying that Israel is an apartheid state. They are saying Israel is carrying out an apartheid system.

On the basis of approximately five years' research and based on the research of the other human rights organisations, they set it out, clearly and factually. Therefore, when I hear people saying that this is lies or a set of lies, I would like to know where the lies are. I do not mind dialogue but if we are to make statements such as that, let us see where the lies are.

When we look at this report, we are told it "concludes that the State of Israel considers and treats Palestinians as an inferior non-Jewish racial group." Listen to that abhorrent language that we heard leading up to and during the Second World War in relation to Jewish people themselves. Now that is the system. That is the way Palestinian people are being treated.

An earlier section of the report looks at security concerns. Certainly, Israel has security concerns but Amnesty came to the conclusion that the "element of genuine security considerations has been far outweighed by the clear, and illegitimate, intent to dominate and oppress." They looked at the security concerns and came back and said that such concerns have been "far outweighed" by what is going on here. The report uses phrases like "widespread and systematic". It makes it clear that "discriminatory, segregationist laws, policies and practices are systematic." After careful consideration of the factual findings, the report states that they form part of a widespread as well as systematic attack directed against the Palestinian population and that the crimes committed within this context constitute crimes against humanity.

We often talk about a rule-based order. Russia has clearly carried out an appalling invasion of Ukraine against the rule-based order, but what rules apply to Israel? If we ignore an Amnesty report that is modest, nuanced and based on years of research, we will have done nothing except express our worry and concern in relation to the designation of six organisations as terrorist organisations, and we fund two of them from public money.

The report sets out clearly - I was going to say "in a fool's guide" but that is inappropriate language - the conclusions and recommendations targeted at this country, the UN and the UN Security Council. I am over time. I will finish on this. It has been a quick debate. I and other colleagues asked for statements so that we would have some action from the Government. If the Minister will not act on it, he should tell us that and let language mean something so that we know where we stand with him. If the Minister agrees with us, we will stand with integrity, not only for the Palestinian people but for the people of Russia who are out demonstrating and the people of Ukraine so that they will know where they stand with language. Truth is not the first casualty of war; language is. With that language, truth goes by the board, we get a particular narrative, we join in with that narrative, or otherwise we are ostracised and demonised. If we are feeling that when we stand up here, I can only imagine what it is like for the Palestinian people. I thank the Acting Chairman for her discretion.

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