Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Irish people have watched in horror as Gaza faces annihilation. Missiles rain down upon 2 million people who have been denied food, fuel and water in one of the most densely populated areas of the world. Israel acts with impunity through its indiscriminate slaughter of a trapped population. Entire families have been killed in their beds while many more are trapped in the rubble. More than 26,000 people have been killed. Some 2 million have been displaced in an event that resembles the Nakba of 1948. This cannot and must not continue.

In Sinn Féin, we believe that every diplomatic, legislative and political option must be deployed in order to deliver a full, unequivocal and immediate ceasefire. Today's motion to join South Africa in its ICJ case against Israel represents a significant opportunity to send a message from Ireland to the world, one which states in unequivocal terms that Ireland believes in international law, that we stand for peace and humanity and that we will not stand idly by as a plausible case of genocide is taking place, as last Friday's initial ruling of the South African case confirmed. Universal backing of this motion by all TDs across this House, Government and Opposition alike, would represent an opportunity to be on the right side of history and to uphold the principles which should underpin our collective sense of how we value human life. Now is not the time to be silent. Now is the time to uphold Ireland's obligation to prevent genocide.

Any doubt the Taoiseach had as to whether the people of Gaza have the right to protection under the genocide convention should now be well and truly eliminated. The reality is that this Government's rhetoric has not been matched by action. It has repeatedly ignored numerous calls and proposals from Sinn Féin and others. It declined to refer Israel to the ICC. It failed to progress the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill. It failed to progress the occupied territories Bill. It failed to deliver on its own programme for Government commitment to recognise the state of Palestine. The list goes on. This evening's motion represents an opportunity to take a different approach, to take decisive action to hold Israel to account and to implement a full, unequivocal and immediate ceasefire. I implore the Government to support it.

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