Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is vital that we are here to speak about the issue of journalists in conflict zones throughout the world. The recent shooting in the face of a woman journalist in Palestine, Shireen Abu Akleh, has focused our attention on the danger that a great many journalists and others face while being a voice for the voiceless and often exposing the terrible atrocities that happen in many parts of the world. I remember watching film clips from conflicts in different places many years ago. I especially remember the image from Vietnam of a naked child running as he burned with napalm and how that changed America's attitude toward that war. There are many other instances and examples of journalists, cameramen and people at the site of an atrocity being able to bring the message out to the world that it was wrong and things had to change. Thankfully, in some instances, it did change.

We have all heard and are very much aware of issues such as the examples given by the previous speaker of what she experienced in Palestine, yet how we deal with those examples and the reality for the people who live in Palestine and how we deal with other conflict zones are very different. There is certainly something for the European Union to do in that context. We have to recognise that people who are suffering considerably as a consequence of terror and aggression, be they in Ukraine, Palestine or anywhere else in the world, deserve to have our voice heard strongly for them and to have us stand witness for them. That is what many of these journalists do but we have to back them and be there for them.

The efforts made by many in this House to try to pursue that sense of dignity and respect for people who find themselves in those circumstances have been found to be singing in the dark, which is unfortunate. Many Deputies, especially on the Opposition benches, have been speaking about issues in Palestine, which does not get the attention it deserves. We know what has been happening in Ukraine, as we can see it very clearly. It is being reported very well, which is excellent and wonderful. We all stand four-square behind the efforts to ensure that Russia's aggression there comes to an end but aggression everywhere has to come to an end. We have to be equally strong in our voice in terms of how we can bring that aggression to an end everywhere.

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