Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Is lá thar a bheith tábhachtach do mhuintir na Palaistíne é seo. Beidh deireadh leis an sos cogaidh inniu muna ngéilleann Iosrael don bhrú leanúint ar aghaidh leis. Chomh maith leis sin, is lá faoi leith é seo, Lá Idirnáisiúnta um Dhlúthpháirtíocht le Muintir na Palaistíne, atá ag tarlú gach bliain ó 1977. Chomh maith leis sin, ar an lá seo in 1947, ghlac Comhthionól Ginearálta na Náisiún Aontaithe le rún a chur tús leis an gcríochdheighilt agus leis an réiteach dhá-thír.

Today is a very special and important day for the people of Palestine on three levels. Today will see the end of the ceasefire, unless Israel sees sense. On this date, every year since 1977, following the General Assembly decision, we have a solidarity day with the people of Palestine. That in itself tells you something. On this day 76 years ago in 1947, the General Assembly adopted the resolution of the partition of Palestine, a decision that saw a two-state solution put forward as the only solution.

The actions and the war of Israel have put an end to a two-state solution. Not only are they saying that history started on 7 October, when Hamas, which I have condemned without hesitation, attacked Israel, they have persisted with a narrative of self-defence. The Secretary General of the UN called the killing of civilians unparalleled and unprecedented. Some 14,800 Palestinians have been reported killed, and that is an underestimate. A substantial number of them are children. Some 1.7 million have been displaced. Along with that, the story that has not been reported at all involves the West Bank. The West Bank and East Jerusalem together are 10% smaller than the size of County Galway. In that area, there are 3 million people and 700,000 Israeli settlers are in there now in 279 settlements, making a two-state solution impossible or nigh-on impossible. Since 7 October, 240 people have been killed, mostly by settlers in the West Bank. This is parallel with the slaughter that is taking place in Gaza.

We have to use our voice and not speak out of two sides of our mouth, or six sides of our mouth, as has been happening. I have praised the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach for their initiative, but that has not continued. We need a ceasefire, full stop. We need to call out Israel for what it is doing, which is the Israeli Government and the Prime Minister, who has been in office for almost 16 years out of 27 years, leading the slaughter and the dehumanising language that is going along with that.

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