Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

This is not a numbers game but rather a humanitarian catastrophe. The whole population of Gaza, including 930,000 children, are now in famine. With our own history of an enforced famine at the hands of an occupier, the Irish people have a unique understanding and empathy for the people of Gaza. Some 66,000 children suffer severe malnutrition and 14,000 babies are potentially facing death within 48 hours if aid does not reach them. These are not statistics; they make up sons, daughters and futures lost. There are no moral means to condone this by right-minded people.

We have all seen the horrific images that no parent or child should ever have to witness of children being buried under rubble, hospitals turning to ashes and families being torn apart. We in Independent Ireland say that our neutrality gives us a powerful voice. Ireland’s neutral status, which is enshrined in the triple lock system, is not a weakness but a strength. We are not beholden to any military alliance. That makes us a trusted broker, especially for those who have no voice in the big geopolitical arenas.

Our role is not to take sides but to push for peace. This war is brutal on all sides. Israel has the right to protect its citizens. No one denies that. Collective punishment and the displacement of 90% of Gaza’s population, the blocking of food and medicine and the bombing of hospitals is not defence, however. It is a breach of international law. We must be honest about the facts and not blinded by emotion or ideology. There has been 356 incidents of settler violence in the West Bank this year alone. Entire Bedouin communities have been displaced. A total of 431 Palestinian structures have been demolished. This is not how peace is built. Out of the 36 hospitals in Gaza, 27 have ceased operations and the remaining are functioning at partial capacity, which severally limits the availability of medical care.

We must also acknowledge the pain and fear in Israel where more than 1,700 lives have been lost, including 260 innocent festival goers on 7 October. We do not condone violence by Hamas. Hamas is not a partner for peace. Its actions, rocket attacks, tunnels and hostage-taking have deepened suffering for Palestinians and Israelis alike. If Israel continues on its current path, however, it strengthens rather than weakens Hamas.

Where does Ireland come in? We do not come in through grandstanding or expelling ambassadors. Expelling the Israeli Ambassador would close doors to peace rather than open them. It would be immature and dangerous. As I said before, we need open dialogue, not empty gestures that makes us feel good but leave people suffering. We can lead diplomatically. Ireland must push at every international level, be that at the EU, the UN or directly with the United States, to demand: a full and immediate ceasefire; the release of hostages; full humanitarian access to Gaza; an end to settlement expansion in the West Bank; and most importantly, the resumption of peace talks aimed at a two-state solution. Independent Ireland calls for the Irish State to be practical, not performative. We need to use our relationship with the USA Administration in particular to advocate for peace. We need to work through backchannels, which is the kind of diplomacy Ireland excels at, to bring both sides back from the brink. We have done this before. Ireland played a proud role in peacekeeping from the Congo to Lebanon. We understand conflict. We lived through our own Troubles. We also understand that peace is not made by shouting but by listening. This is our chance to live up to the promise of our neutrality. We should not sit idle but rather lead quickly, firmly and consistently in the name of humanity. While peace is still possible, it is important it must start with an immediate ceasefire and allowing aid to be delivered without any restrictions. In the most ironic way, I ask all Members to pray for peace in the Holyland.

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