Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is about the European response we have had. There is no doubt the war in Ukraine is horrible and abominable, but likewise, the war in Gaza is the same.

During this period, Italian companies sold arms worth almost €120 million to Israel, on average around €12 million per year. More recent reports show that German defence export approvals to Israel had risen nearly tenfold last year compared with the year before. This is appalling as well.

European countries have directly funded a collective punishment of 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza by the Israeli Government, and Europe should hang its head in shame in that respect. There is clearly a divide between the people and those in power. Citizens across Europe have shown time and time again that they condemn Israel's genocide on the Palestinian people, yet their leaders refuse to act on this while at the same time being very vocal on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The EU and the US are the reason this genocide has continued and Ireland needs to take a stand. The Government needs to advocate for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement on humanitarian grounds and it needs to honour its commitment in the programme for Government to formally recognise the state of Palestine. We need to advocate for the people of Palestine and for the people of Ukraine, who have been utterly failed by the international community across the board.

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