Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This State is rightly proud of the stand we took against apartheid South Africa. We did the right thing and we were on the right side of history. Today, we see those very same obvious injustices, atrocities and forced removals being carried out on the Palestinian people and, again, the so-called great powers turn a blind eye to them. These are not just historical wrongs lost in the mists of time. Since the start of 2023, 148 Palestinians, including 26 children and six women, have been killed by the Israeli occupying forces, and not a peep out of the so-called great powers, not a peep out of world leaders, no collective outrage, no collective condemnation, no collective promise of supports.

The Israeli occupying forces act so brazenly now that just nine days ago they demolished an EU-funded school in a village east of Bethlehem, violating the right to education of the 40 young children attending that school and traumatising those children, who have now lost the school where they had been learning, playing and engaging with their teachers and classmates in what was supposed to be a safe and protected place.

This Bill does not try to right every wrong. It only tries to ensure that the State is in compliance with international law. ISIF has invested Irish taxpayers’ money in nine companies operating within illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, and it is important to note that these investments include four Israeli banks which are instrumental in facilitating the ongoing campaigning of annexation. It should never have happened. We need to do a lot more and supporting this Bill is the very least we can do. While so-called world powers and leaders continue to turn a blind eye to Israel's war crimes against the Palestinian people, Ireland should step forward and do the right thing. This Bill is just another measure and, hopefully, other countries with a conscience will follow suit.

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