Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this matter once again. I am not sure how many more times we can ask the Government to act. We have heard the deep concern and we have heard it deplore this but we have not seen it take any action. In the thorough speech of avoidance given by the Tánaiste today, it is crystal clear he takes pride in our leading by example at the UN but we fail to lead in Europe. We are waiting all the time for action from a Europe where Ursula von der Leyen, as already quoted, has said that the Israeli state made the desert bloom. We are waiting for a European Union where Josep Borrell has told us they really do not like to use the word "apartheid" in relation to Israel, notwithstanding the report that was published in February of last year. It is a detailed report with four or five years' research gone into and it has been utterly ignored by this Government. We have asked repeatedly for the reaction of the Government to the Amnesty International report, where very specific recommendations were targeted at governments.

Will the Minister of State tell us why the Government is ignoring the Amnesty report? Will he tell us why we are ignoring the fact that six human rights organisations, two or three of which we fund, have been designated as terrorist organisations? That was back in October 2021, and since then the silence is deafening. In between, there was a joint statement on 12 July, which we waited for. I would like the Minister of State's attention for this very important subject. It is the only time we get to speak on Palestine. On 12 July, there was a joint statement by EU members, including Ireland, stating no substantial evidence had been provided by Israel and affirming their support for Palestinian civil society. On 22 August last year, the organisations I mentioned were raided. These are human rights organisations. They were ransacked and forcibly closed with their equipment confiscated. There is an operation cynically called - "cynically" does not capture it - Operation Home and Garden, where the army goes into a refugee camp that is 70 years old. That in itself tells a story. This is one of 19 refugee camps and it has been there for 70 years. The Israeli army goes in, destroys all around it and calls it, to my horror, Operation Home and Garden. There was no water and 3,000 people were left with nowhere to go. The vast majority have gone back to absolute destruction and still we remain silent.

We remain silent and wait for a Europe that has no intention of action, a Europe we are complicit with, that has described Israel as a special friend and given Israel a special position as a trading partner. This is a Europe where Borrell has told us everything outside of Europe is a jungle and Europe is a garden. I am asking today that we finally give our reaction to the Amnesty report. I am asking that we give a reaction to the designation of six human rights organisations as terrorist organisations. The Minister of State might confirm if we are now funding terrorist organisations because that is the reality of what Israel has done with our collusion. The Minister of State might try to give us some clarity and depart from the script in relation to the wholesale slaughter and murder that is happening in our name because of our complicity. We cannot keep going on and saying we disagree with this, that we are concerned and take absolutely no action.

We have had many chances to take action, including two Bills, one tabled by Sinn Féin and one by Senator Frances Black. One relates to divestment, which is a very practical matter, and the other to imports from the occupied territories. We have taken none of them on board. Still, we say we are standing with the Palestinian people. We clearly stood with the people of Ukraine, and rightly so. There was no hesitation in describing the invasion by Russia as illegal but all sorts of dissembling when it comes to Israel's actions. Israel is tearing itself apart at the moment with regard to its democracy. I pay tribute to the courageous people who are there. Legislation is going through that Parliament to take away the powers of the Judiciary, the one thing left with oversight. What are we doing? Have we stood in solidarity with those brave people in Israel who are saying "Do not do this in my name"?

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