Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)

There is currently a social media campaign entitled “Don’t stop talking about Palestine”. I fully support it. People, including the campaigners, are concerned that there is fatigue setting in among some, who are asking what exactly they can do. I urge people to keep talking about Palestine and to keep protesting about it, including on the streets and in the Houses of the Oireachtas. I express my solidarity with Sophie Ní Choimín, who is currently on hunger strike for the people of Palestine. I urge people to keep sending us emails on Palestine. In the past couple of weeks alone, we have received thousands of emails from concerned people. I do not believe the Government is listening to the people of Ireland. In this House, the time for talking is over. It is now time for action. We need to enact the occupied territories Bill in its entirety and not have some watered-down version. We need to enact the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill.

Tonight, the Government will vote on the sale of Israeli war bonds, the very bonds that are funding the genocide in Palestine and responsible for the dropping of bombs on the people of Palestine. The mealy-mouthed response of the Government last night was absolutely shameful. All said and done, and for all the talk of the Government, it is obstructing legislation that would punish those responsible for genocide. We will have a chance tonight to say genocide, murder, starvation, mass deportation, mass displacement and ethnic cleansing are not in our name. Tonight, everybody in this House will have a chance to be on the right side of history. I urge every Member of the House, in both opposition and government, to be on that side. It is time to do the right thing. The time for talking is over and the time for action is tonight. Everybody with a conscience will vote in favour of the Sinn Féin Bill tonight.

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