Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In Gaza, we are not witnessing a war on Hamas, we are witnessing the indiscriminate slaughter of Palestinians, what the Minister of State has rightly described as collective punishment. The EU refusal to condemn Israel's actions is a failure of historic importance.

The Taoiseach said yesterday that trade issues are a European competency. This is true, but as a member state we can and, morally, must have a very clear position. I call on the Government to state that the EU should suspend the Israel-EU trade relationship. These agreements have human rights clauses and if these clauses are to mean anything, they must be used now. Israel should also be removed from EU funding programmes such as Horizon Europe. Over the past seven years. Israel has received €1.24 billion under the horizon programme alone. By comparison, that is more than Ireland received as a full EU member. This is a power lever to pressure Israel. I called on the Government to oppose the renewal of the Horizon Europe membership two years ago, right after this House recognised the de facto annexation of Palestinian land. We alone do not control the EU but we have a voice and we need to use it. Will the Minister support these measures as an absolute minimum in respect of what we should be doing to pressure Israel into ending its ruthless destruction of Gaza and its population?

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