Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Supporting the people of Palestine is something I am really passionate about. Last week I organised a meeting for the Fine Gael parliamentarians with Sadaka, the Ireland Palestine Alliance, to discuss what is the absolute horror that is happening in Gaza. I brought this and Ireland's participation in the South African International Court of Justice, ICJ, case up on the floor of the Dáil last week, and yesterday I took part in the debate on Gaza. Today, I am formally indicating my support for the Government motion, which says "Stop" to the death and destruction in Gaza, appeals for safe, unhindered humanitarian aid and, most importantly, commits the Government to responding and supporting the ICJ's preliminary response. It confirms that once the case is filed we can intervene, just as we did at that point with Ukraine and Russia. As someone has spent time in Palestine, I believe that the Irish Government must show leadership on this issue and I am glad that we are showing leadership internationally. Ireland was amongst the first countries in the world to call for a ceasefire. We are already in a court case, holding Israel to account, and our Attorney General will travel next month to the Hague to give evidence. We are using our diplomatic channels to assert Palestine's right to its own state and we are providing practical support on the ground. We are providing €30 million in extra aid and €3 million to institutions like the International Criminal Court, which needs to hold Israel to account.

The Israeli defense forces, IDF, are renowned for precision, for their state-of-the-art technology and for their well trained tactical operators. Yet, 70% of the 25,200 people who have died in Gaza are women and children. I do not believe that a force with such a big defence budget, such advanced weapons and technology and such sophisticated training can do that by accident. I am not a lawyer or a human rights expert but in my view, South Africa is right. In my view, this is genocide - it has to be. I believe that Ireland should join their case. I am confident that once the legal case has been made, we will intervene at that point, just as we did for Ukraine. It is important to me that we do that at the legally appropriate time, at the point when we have our evidence gathered and when we have our legal opinions finalised, so that we can actually help the case. That means having and responding to the preliminary recommendations. It means analysing and adding to the substantive case once it is published. That is how we can best help the people of Palestine. It will send a strong, clear legally weighted response to the international community and to the ICJ. In the meantime, tonight we will send a strong, clear unambiguous message that we need a ceasefire, we need access to aid and that Ireland will be supporting the ICJ on this.

What Israel is doing in Palestine is having absolutely devastating consequences. Entire families are being wiped out, communities are being ravaged and schools and hospitals are being knocked to the ground. It is having a huge impact on stability right across the region. The Irish Government is saying "Stop". It is calling for a ceasefire and it stands ready to intervene in the South African case as soon as it is legally opportune. What we are not doing is intervening at a point in time when it is politically opportune. We are not in the business of winning votes off the back of the killing of innocent civilians. We are in the business of legal arguments, of diplomacy and negotiations, because that is what ends wars. The sad reality is that whatever the ICJ says, it does not mean Israel will abide by it. That is where we are and that is why we need our diplomatic channels. Negotiations and diplomacy are what really can make a difference now. We need to be working internationally to achieve a ceasefire, and I know we are doing that.

The Tánaiste has been to the region and has continued to support the people of Palestine at EU and UN level, because that is what achieves practical progress. There is no practical progress offered by some of the commentary made in this Chamber today and yesterday. The Opposition has torn strips off the Government for saying "End the war" instead of "Ceasefire". That is just not helpful. All that is doing is creating division at a time when we need cross-party unity and a cross-party statement to go out to the world. Right now, we need to be talking to international community, not playing to the national public gallery. As the battle for votes and public opinion happens here, people in Palestine continue to die. Gaza is being blown to bits, Palestinians in the West Bank are being killed, and we are starting to see instability seep right across the Middle East. We cannot allow tensions to escalate. That is what our diplomatic corps and our Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs is committed to avoiding. Just this week, the Tánaiste engaged directly with his counterparts in Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and the Arab states. That is what we need.

Right now, people in Gaza are in famine. People are using animal feed instead of flour to have something - anything - eat. The IPC Global Initiative is projecting that by 7 February, in two weeks time, the entire population of the Gaza Strip will be in phase 3 famine. What that translates as is the worst ever classification of famine for so many people in the one place. It is impossible to even contemplate what that would mean for people there, in particular for children, pregnant women and the elderly, who are the most vulnerable. Right now in Gaza, a baby is born every ten minutes. That means ten children will be born during these statements here today. A nurse in Gaza has shared her story of performing emergency C-sections on six dead women, on six mothers who died before their child was born. That is the reality on the ground in Gaza. That is why it is so important that Ireland, which has been a lonely voice on the international stage and I am proud we have been, does not let South Africa be a lonely voice on that stage.

Once the preliminary verdict has been published and analysed, we have to join the case.

See this speech in context