Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Social Democrats for tabling the motion. I support all of its asks with one exception. I agree we must intensify our efforts for an immediate ceasefire, suspend the EU-Israeli Association Agreement, suspend the EU-Israel Horizon Europe association agreement and pass the occupied territories Bill. I cannot support the call to expel the Israeli ambassador for a very simple reason. I believe in my heart of hearts that keeping channels of communication open and keeping dialogue on the table, most especially with those people with whom we disagree, is crucial. In fact, it is essential. Keeping our influence through soft power, persuasion and appealing to another's better nature and basic humanity is far more valuable than cutting off ties, closing down channels, shutting one's ears and turning one's back.

I fundamentally disagree with some of the statements made by the Israeli ambassador. I am horrified by what I see happening in Gaza and Al-Shifa Hospital and so many other hospitals. My benchmark is whether an action, in this case the suspension of the Israeli ambassador, would improve the situation. Would it contribute positively? Would it save lives or help to stop conflict? I believe the answer to these questions is "No". Yes, it would be a strapline on world news channels for an hour or even a day but then there would be radio silence and we, partly at least, would become bystanders.

I am not pretending that our influence either way is significant but the little influence we have must be used wisely. We all know this terrible, cruel and shockingly inhumane conflict will only be resolved across a table of peace talks. Difficult though it now seems, there will have to be some form of political agreement and we will have to find a way to navigate some type of political renewal.

Last week in the audiovisual room I listened to Daniel Levy, president of the US Middle East Project, on a Zoom call. He was asked how we can find a route to a ceasefire. His thoughtful and informed reply was that the US has leverage to deliver a ceasefire in Gaza. We should do everything we can, using whatever leverage we have in the EU, the US, Palestine, Israel and anywhere in the world, to help to deliver some pause and some stop to the slaughter.

That is our role and, I believe, our duty. Expelling the Israeli ambassador will not further these efforts. Right now, like all of us here, I feel such sadness at the cruel loss of life, the trauma of horrific injury and forced displacement and the sight of hospitals being turned into graveyards. I can barely listen to the tortured voices of those who beg us to find ways to put an end to this conflict. My deep sadness, though, is that I see a growing inhumanity in people's hearts as death and destruction become the only reality and as rage and anger supplant reason and empathy. If there is a way back, and there must be, we must take inspiration from people like John Hume and many others, who never gave up, never stopped talking, never stopped listening and never stopped engaging. This course of action does not make us weak; it makes us strong.

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