Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)

This motion gives the Irish Government the opportunity to fulfil its moral, ethical, legal and democratic obligations to act to prevent the genocide that is being committed against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Israel is pursuing a campaign of collective punishment against the Palestinian people, destroying entire cities and forced displacement camps where people have nowhere else to go. It is a war crime, and that war crime is being committed and undertaken, funded through the Irish Central Bank. The most upsetting, abhorrent war crime that is being committed is the collective punishment of children. According to UNICEF, more than 15,000 children in Gaza have been killed, more than 34,000 have been injured and nearly 1 million have been displaced. Gaza has become the graveyard of our collective humanity, but what is being done in terms of the mass murder of children, their families, their communities and the entire Palestinian people?

The Government is claiming that Ireland is a leader internationally on Palestine and, indeed, it is true that in calling out Israel for its war crimes and genocide, it has done more than other countries. However, it is very clear there is more it could be doing, and, in fact, it is in one of the most powerful places in the world to do more because the Irish people have shown they want the Government to do more. The Irish people themselves are leaders on a global scale. They organise protests every other day in towns, villages and cities. We see them on bridges and we join them. Day after day, thousands of Irish people stand in solidarity and plead with the Government to do more. Opinion polls show that, overwhelmingly, the Irish people want the Irish Government to lead internationally in sanctioning Israel. Therefore, the Government should take the mandate it has been given from the Irish people. It should be courageous and do everything, and I mean everything, it can do to sanction Israel. It should stop the Central Bank facilitating the sale of Israeli war bonds. The Government must do it immediately. As I said, there is a moral, ethical, legal and democratic obligation on the Government to intervene and stop the Irish State facilitating these war bonds.

It should step up and take the consequences from the EU. I will repeat it again: take the consequences. It can take a lead. Yes, it will upset some European partners and yes, it requires taking action that goes beyond the normal course of business, but this is genocide. It is being committed by the State and Government of Israel. They are acting unilaterally to wipe out the Palestinian people, and our Central Bank is facilitating that. Condemning the crimes means nothing if we are funding them. This Government needs to act. It should support this motion as it is the right thing to do.

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