Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

We are approaching Christmas. Christmas is normally a time of celebration, rest and peace. For 2.4 million people in Gaza, because of the continued barbaric and savage assault by Israel Christmas for Gazans is going to be a time of fear and death. Against the background of the slaughter Israel is visiting on the people of Gaza the United States of America on Friday took the utterly shameful and inhumane decision to veto a resolution by the UN Security Council just to call for a ceasefire to halt the horror being visited on the people of Gaza.

It is also reported in the last few days that Joe Biden, the US President, has also asked Congress to support the sale of 45,000 new tank shells to Israel for use in their Merkava tanks for use in Gaza to blow to bits more children, more women, more men, more schools, more hospitals and more water infrastructure. This of course comes on top of the fact that Biden increased the annual US support for Israel, which was $3 billion before the current massacre commenced, with a request for $14 billion to further assist Israel to conduct its slaughter.

The United States not only will not call for a stop to Israel's massacre but wants to arm it to carry on the massacre that has led to 18,000 dead, 8,000 of them children; 85% of the population driven from their homes; 1 million people now on the brink of starvation, according to the UN; only 11 of 36 hospitals functioning, and they are barely functioning; and the UN warning of a humanitarian apocalypse.

Against this background, the Christian leaders in Bethlehem have cancelled Christmas, but there is a different attitude from the US ambassador in Ireland, who has, I understand, invited all TDs to attend tonight a dinner at the ambassador’s residence in the Phoenix Park to celebrate what is called the joys of the season. What joys they intend to celebrate I cannot understand. Is it how effective their shells are in killing people and blowing up schools and hospitals? Does the Taoiseach think it would be appropriate, because I do not, for any Member of this House or Oireachtas to attend a celebration of the joys of the season when the US is blocking attempts to end the horror in Gaza? I appeal to the Taoiseach to join those boycotting this event because it is sick and disgusting against the background of what is happening in Gaza.

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