Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We have all seen Europe's unified stance against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It shows just how powerful a force Europe can be in the quest for peace, freedom and human rights throughout the world. This has united the European Union in the face of an unjustified war of oppression and tyranny. It is the same force for good, this unwavering support in the face of tyranny, which the beleaguered people of Palestine are desperate for.

The ongoing merciless raids conducted by Israel's forces and the illegal incursions into Jenin and other parts of Palestine have demonstrated once again the brutality faced by Palestinians on a daily basis. At least 12 Palestinians have been killed in Jenin in the past week, including five children. Thousands were forced to flee their homes and large parts of the camp were left in ruins. The Israelis have made refugees out of refugees. The people of Palestine live under an apartheid regime designed and cruelly enforced by Israel. It is an apartheid regime which sees Palestinians killed, imprisoned and tortured and that sees Palestinian lands annexed and illegally settled and Palestinian homes left in ruins.

This week we saw an elected Israeli official calling for ethnic cleansing in front of a stolen Palestinian home. This is Zionism in its clearest form. If this was a Palestinian official openly calling for ethnically cleansing Israelis from the country, we would see a justifiable flood of outrage and condemnation from the EU, but since it is Israel calling for the expulsion of Palestinians, there is only silence.

Dublin may lie 4,000 km from Jerusalem on the map but Palestinians feel much closer to the hearts of the Irish people. Both Ireland and Palestine share a history of struggle against colonialism and oppression. The story of the Palestinian people is one of colonisation at the hands of Israel, one of the world's most fearsome military powers. On far too many occasions, the international community has looked the other way when Israel has committed horrific human rights abuses in Palestine.

Sinn Féin supports a two-state solution, which is a view shared by the vast majority of representatives in the Dáil. However, there cannot be a two-state solution if one of the states has been reduced by illegal land-grabs. The international community and, in particular, the European Union need to act in response to Israeli aggression and oppression and must act to defend the rights of the Palestinian people.

Ireland must lead the way. Rather than further delay, there must be no more excuses and the Irish Government must at long last recognise the state of Palestine. The Dáil passed a Sinn Féin motion in 2014 and the Seanad did likewise. Recognising the state of Palestine is in the programme for Government. The Government, however, has cowered away from this and is hiding behind the shield of Europe. It states we must have a collective consensus with like-minded European allies. The Government is talking out of both sides of its mouth when it comes to Palestine.

Looking at the list of speakers for this debate, the Government has seven slots but has only taken up four. It is more interesting in going on its holidays for the summer than talking about and trying to put solutions in place for the people of Palestine and Jenin.

I was in Palestine last year and when we were travelling from one zone to another, armed Israeli soldiers came onto the bus. They singled out one young lad who had the audacity to smile at them when they came on to the bus. The soldiers asked him what he was smiling at and then started roaring and shouting at him. I intervened and said he was smiling because he was nervous and that he was Irish and we are a friendly people. They pointed the gun directly at me. Their words to me are ones I will never forget. They said to me there is no Palestine. I saw at first hand what the Palestinian people have to put up with on a daily basis and it is horrific.

Deputy Andrews and I have written to the FAI to ask about having an international friendly between Ireland and Palestine. No European country has ever played Palestine since it joined FIFA in 1998. The FAI wrote back to say it has no fixtures in 2023, which I accept, and it is mandated with regard to fixtures by FIFA in 2024. We have asked it to reconsider and to play a League of Ireland select international, perhaps this year or next year. I tried to put this down as a parliamentary question but it was ruled out of order. In the Minister of State's wrap-up, will he say whether the Government will lend its support to having this match played in an act of solidarity with and support for the Palestinian people?

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