Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last Friday, the International Court of Justice made a historic ruling. It ordered Israel to take action to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza. The court said Israel must stop killing Palestinians and causing serious physical and mental harm to them. Israel must also prevent its troops from committing genocide, prevent incitement to commit genocide, allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza and take action to preserve evidence of genocide.

There is no doubt Israel is breaking international law every day in slaughtering tens of thousands of Palestinians, but it now faces the charge of genocide in The Hague. The only way to give effect to this court ruling is an immediate ceasefire. As Israel's destruction of Gaza and slaughter of Palestinians continues, it is ignoring the International Court of Justice and its role in genocide. Political leaders around the world that fail to call for an immediate ceasefire are going against the court as it works to prevent genocide. Every state has a responsibility to adhere to international law. It is not an optional extra. No convention is as important as the one on genocide. Ireland has a moral responsibility to do all it can to stop genocide. The Government must now say it will intervene on the side of South Africa, file a declaration of intention to intervene with the ICJ and begin the preparation for a legal submission on the side of South Africa and the Palestinian people. This Government cannot say it did not know. History will judge it by its actions or lack of action to support Palestine at this time.

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