Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an rún tábhachtach seo agus gabhaim buíochas leis na Social Democrats as an rún a chur os comhair na Dála inniu. I want to focus on one particular issue. It has been reported in the media in the Middle East that the United States and Israel have agreed the United Nations interim force in Lebanon will cease its operations in southern Lebanon. It has also been reported that the US Government has decided not to renew UNIFIL's mandate and Israel reportedly did not disagree with it. A vote on the mandate in the United Nations Security Council is expected to occur in the coming months. That is a very serious issue. Irish troops have been part of the UNIFIL mission for many years. Since 1978, 30,000 Irish troops have served within that mission and 47 have lost their lives. At the moment, about 340 members of the 125th infantry battalion are deployed in Lebanon. What does this mean and what kind of engagement has the Irish Government had with the US Government? Recently, the Tánaiste, Simon Harris, said that “by recommitting to the UNIFIL mission Ireland is sending a clear message that we support peace, we value stability and we care about the people and communities of southern Lebanon.” Where is our commitment now if, in fact, it looks like the US is going to bring that particular mission to an end in southern Lebanon? Will the Minister reply to that very serious development within the Middle East?

Israel is dropping bombs on hospitals, schools and tents. The IDF is atomising the bodies of small children with armaments that are funded by Israeli bonds. The Israeli regime is starving people and using famine as a weapon of war. It is also trying to humiliate the people of Gaza by providing very restricted food programmes and then killing people who seek to feed their families from those programmes. I have never seen such gruesome violations of human rights unfold in real time in my life. Some 54,000 people have been killed, 70% of them women and children. I never thought I would witness the international community in cahoots with such large-scale human rights violations. Many are in cahoots, but many others are silent on this issue. Ireland is not silent, I admit. The Government has sent out strong messages, but there is an equivocation here. It sends out messages but supports Ursula von der Leyen. It recognises Palestine but allows for bonds to be sold for the Israeli war machine. The destruction of the people of Gaza is happening because it is being facilitated by many people in the international community. The Government facilitates the sale of Israeli war bonds and is therefore facilitating the funding of the gruesome horror that is unfolding every day. I ask the Government to stop that facilitation, take a decision, show leadership on this issue and save people's lives.

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