Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Gabhaim buíochas le Páirtí an Lucht Oibre as an rún seo a chur os ár gcomhair. Tá Fianna Fáil agus Fine Gael ag gníomhú amhail is nach bhfuil an chumhacht acu níos mó a dhéanamh. Tá an chumhacht acu. Dúirt an Chúirt Bhreithiúnais Idirnáisiúnta an-shoiléir go bhfuil dualgas – ní hamháin cumhacht ach dualgas – ar gach uile rialtas stop a chur leis an bhfeachtas cinedhíothaithe atá ag tarlú faoi láthair i nGaza. Ireland has the power to do more. It has a voice at the UN General Assembly and can call for collective measures. Ireland also has the power to stop the investment in illegal settlements. We can ensure that the Irish Central Bank has no role in financing genocide through facilitating the sale, through Ireland, of Israeli war bonds. Ireland can also stop allowing the passage of weapons of war, of genocide, through our airspace, which weapons are used to bomb Gaza. We have these powers and need to take on these issues.

We also have the power to ensure Israel’s genocidal regime does not have preferential trade rights in the EU. We have not done anything to suspend the preferential trade agreement with Israel. In the past two years of the genocidal onslaught, or before that, 60,000 Palestinians have died. It is time for us to stop the trade with Israel. It is time for us to sanction Israel. We should compare our actions now with how quick Ireland was to sanction Russia and suspend trade with it.

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