Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach for his response to my question. I put on the record my recognition of the importance of diplomacy, even with nations to which we are fundamentally opposed. It is incredibly important for the European Union to speak with one voice with regard to the humanitarian crisis unfolding before our eyes. What the Israelis are doing to innocent civilians in Gaza is shocking and appalling. It is not new, I regret to say; they have been doing it for decades. We are now, I suppose, in the fortunate position where, primarily due to social media, we are seeing everything that is going on daily, almost hourly.

I disagree with one remark the Taoiseach made, which is that Palestinian and Israeli lives are equal. To us, yes, of course they are, but they are not to the Israelis. That is very clear from their actions. I implore the Taoiseach to do more, or to do as much as he possibly can, to ensure that the European Union speaks with one voice when it comes to this conflict and the barbarism on the part of the Israel Defense Forces and the Government of Israel. To do anything less would be to let down the goodwill which the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have created with their engagement with countries such as those the Taoiseach mentioned, which, in turn, have offered to assist us in facilitating our citizens in the Gaza Strip. Mark my words, this issue has been going on for decades. While the recent conflict is being played out on our television screens for all to see, I do not see an end to this conflict because I do not believe that the Israelis have any interest in ending it. Their goal is the eradication of the Palestinian people in Gaza. We all know that and it has been the case for decades. Whatever the Taoiseach can do, I want to make it obvious that as a small island off the coast of Europe with a population of a bit over 5 million, and as a neutral country, we have incredible reach. I refer the Taoiseach to our relationship with our American friends in this regard. They are a critical component of what the Israelis are doing in light of the ongoing supply of arms. Those are the issues I wish to highlight this afternoon.

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