Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Let me begin by acknowledging our friend, Dr. Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, ambassador of Palestine. I also acknowledge the members of the Palestinian community who are in the Gallery. In particular, I extend my warmest welcome to Dr. Wael Abunamous, his wife, Suha and their seven children. Bombed from their home in Gaza, they found refuge in my community in East Wall. They have made our community all the better for it. We are so sorry for all of your suffering. We mourn with you and hope that this will come to an end.

To begin, let me acknowledge the importance of what we are doing today in recognising the State of Palestine. I also recognise that our Government has gone further than most, because the bar has been set so low. I hope the Government will recognise that this cannot be the end and that we have so much more we need to do. This in itself, is not even close to being enough. Also, please do not call this a victory for diplomacy or any one approach because it simply is not.

While the Tánaiste talked of intense discussions that went on for months behind closed doors, there was not a roof or a door in Gaza that was not blown off its hinges. If diplomacy is acting at a slower pace than genocide, then diplomacy is failing. As we come here today, there will be a single call coming across the Chamber and I hope it is listened to, namely, that we must intensify our efforts. We must go further and indeed beyond ourselves. If diplomacy is acting at a slower pace than genocide then it is failing and genocide is exactly what is happening. We see that in the enforced famine inflicted on the people of Gaza. We see it in the 2,000 lb bombs that are being dropped every single day. In late November last year we debated in this Chamber whether Israel had bombed a hospital. At the time we were told to be careful because we did not know the full facts. At this point, Israel has bombed every single hospital in Gaza. We know the facts. They have obliterated universities as a way of ending the cultural and intellectual integrity of Gaza. They have killed 36,000 people, including 15,000 children at this point, not counting those who remain under the rubble. They make no distinction between man, woman and child. We know the facts. They have targeted journalists precisely to prevent them from telling the truth. UN workers have been annihilated. We know the facts. What we have known is that until very recently, until the last 48 hours or potentially this act, Israel has faced absolutely no consequences for its actions. As we recognise the State of Palestine, let us recognise what led us to this point, the suffering, horror, death, inhumanity and apartheid that had to bring us this particular space, for us to recognise Palestine, 31 years after the Oslo Accords. While acknowledging the pace of that, which was too slow, which led to all this devastation, can we please, intensify our efforts? Can we please go further? The Israel-EU trade agreement finally came on to the table last night. This is far too slow. The humanitarian clauses built into it may as well have been taken out.

We talk about the fact that we somehow still have to deal with Israel through trade as if it were a normal entity. We are told that unseen legal advice suggests to us that we cannot enact the occupied territories Bill. Why not? Boycott is a tradition given to the world by the Irish people against our own oppressor. Why can we not apply that to the oppressor of others? In terms of the occupied territories Bill, we have to. We are told that we cannot cease diplomatic relations with Israel, despite the fact that Israel behaves like no other entity and despite the fact that Israel summons the Irish, Spanish and Norwegian ambassadors and makes them watch videos of atrocities and for the world's media to mock and condemn. Why do we treat Israel as if it is a normal entity? Why do we have to maintain the illusion of democracy and the pageantry of diplomacy while bombs are raining down? Bring this horror to an end. It will not end without consequences. Israel has never faced consequences for its actions. It has only become more and more emboldened, more cynical and more indiscriminate in its massacring. Every once in a while, the Israelis will say, "Sorry, we got that one wrong" and we are supposed to go, "Well, fair enough". No more. Bring this horror and slaughter to an end. Go beyond that. If we believe in a two-state solution, let us recognise that one is being obliterated and that we cannot have normal relations with the other under those conditions.

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