Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Everybody welcomes the formal recognition of the state of Palestine. I also recognise and welcome the departure of the Israeli ambassador. Although she has been called back by her country for discussions, we should formally expel her and keep her out. The reason, as the Taoiseach more or less acknowledged, is that after seven months of genocidal massacre in Gaza, the Government has been forced to recognise the state of Palestine years after it said it would do so. There are also years and years of illegal occupation, of apartheid, and rule by a state that does not have the right to exist. This is not a normal state. The State of Israel needs to have sanctions imposed on it, it needs to be boycotted, and the Israeli ambassador needs to be expelled from this country. Much more needs to be done, not just for the people of Gaza but for the entire people of Palestine. We want peace. Everybody wants peace, but we will not get it unless the Government puts the absolute strictest sanctions it possibly can on the apartheid State of Israel to stop the massacre in Gaza.

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