Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ursula von der Leyen said "... attacks on civilian infrastructure with the clear aim to cut off men, women, children of water, electricity and heating with the winter coming, these are acts of pure terror and we have to call it as such.". The President of the Commission was, of course, referring to Ukraine. Why do the same laws not apply to the people of Palestine? Clearly, in the eyes of Ursula von der Leyen and the European Commission, one life is more important than another. There is no other country in the world that could bomb four countries in 48 hours - Libya, Palestine, Egypt and Syria - and still be considered an innocent victim. As someone who has lived in and worked in the Gaza Strip, I find the events of recent days utterly depressing and so sad. I got to know ordinary families trying to live ordinary lives and do ordinary things. There was a huge hunger for education and a love of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, El Clásico. I recall the young boys running around with excitement when they got Ronaldo haircuts. I support these Palestinians, not Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, PA. I lived in the Gaza Strip and I know the difference. The slaughter of civilians, whether they be Palestinian or Israeli, is unforgivable and a war crime. All those who kill civilians must be held accountable.

Equally, the events of the past ten days have not arisen out of thin air. They occurred because of decades of apartheid, murder and torture of Palestinians. They also occurred because of the failure of Ireland to hold Israel to account. We hear a lot of people talking about peace but without justice, there can be no peace. The time for the Irish Government to act in unison with the EU has long passed. The Irish Government must step forward and take action. We urgently need to see a ceasefire and the release of hostages. Ireland needs to boycott, divest and sanction Israel. We must pass the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023 and the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018. We must expel the Israeli ambassador and seek that the International Criminal Court issue an arrest warrant for Netanyahu who is a war criminal. Ursula von der Leyen must be sacked because her behaviour has been absolutely abysmal.

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