Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome that. However, we were always under an obligation under the Genocide Convention relating to the trade with Israel, with regard to human rights. We could have taken action and we can take action. On the occupied territories Bill, we have experts in law, including two of the world's leading experts, stating that we are fully entitled to pass the occupied territories Bill. The legal opinion comes from Professor Tridimas, a leading EU law specialist who has served as an adviser to the European Commission and European Parliament, and, with apologies for my pronunciation, Professor Koutrakos, three-time European Commission Jean Monnet chair in EU law, and so on. An ordinary person would know that you cannot trade with a country that is committing genocide. An ordinary person knows that, at some stage, that trade has to cease one way or another if we are to give meaning to our words. I repeat that the Tánaiste has said very strong words without action. We have recognised Palestine but there will be no Palestine to recognise if we let the genocide continue.

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