Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)

Of all the subjects and all the issues that we talk about here, when we see the horrific videos and images of people, and children in particular, starving and the inhumanity and the senselessness of it all, it really would make one think that man's inhumanity to man is beyond belief. We are all rightly outraged by what is going on. That being said, Ireland is a leader in the world on Palestine. The Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Government have been very strong on this issue. I do not like to see divisiveness in this House when it comes to an issue as serious as this. Everybody has very good intentions, but sometimes the divisiveness by the Opposition is unhelpful to what we are all trying to achieve. At the end of the day, we all want what is best for the people who are oppressed and who are being so hard done by and whose lives are being torturously affected by the horrible events of the last months and years.

I have listened to the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach speak very strongly on this issue. We are all trying to achieve the same thing, at the end of the day. We were among the first in recognising the Palestinian state. Enacting the occupied territories Bill has been a major concern for the Government. It has been treated with urgency and importance, but with something as important as this, it has to be got right. Imposing sanctions on trade and goods from Israel are issues we are all of the one word on. It is not than any of us are disagreeing with each other fundamentally on what we want to do. I recognise and appreciate the concerns of each individual and each party in this House. Historically, we have been a very strong advocate and we have placed a strong emphasis on standing with Palestine, by being the first EU member to call for Palestinian statehood. Ireland and Spain have both called for a review of the trade relations with Israel.

When we are talking about the politics of this, we cannot ever forget that every minute, every hour and every day, torture and other awful things are happening there. We think back on what happened during the two world wars. We speak historically about those and how horrible they were and we saw what happened to the Jews in the concentration camps and we watch films and read books about it.

We just have to wake up and think, my goodness, in the modern world today we are living through and witnessing the same thing happening again. We cannot say it is worse or anything like that, but it is the same thing affecting innocent lives - people and families, who have done nothing wrong. How could any child be guilty of doing anything wrong, yet their lives are being taken? The most basic necessities are being denied to them: clean water, shelter - a place to call home with heat, comfort and the basic needs for life. All of those bare necessities are being taken away.

Ireland is doing its part every day but we must question what other larger, stronger superpowers are doing, or should I say maybe what they are not doing. There should be political outrage from everybody in today's world, no matter what side they are on, no matter who they represent or what their party is - the basic inhumanity of this is so outrageous that we should all be going out through the eye of a needle and going in the same direction at the same time. We should all be saying the same thing: this is wrong. We must go down every avenue and do everything that can be done to stop it, and to provide humanitarian assistance in every way that we can. The EU, America and other places all have to work together.

We should all support what the Irish Government, the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach have been doing. While we cannot agree on everything, at the same time we want to travel on the same road, that is, the road of peace.

When I look at what happened in Ireland, I see the way everybody came together - from parties, religious people and non-religious people. Everybody played their role, no matter who they were, be it Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or religious people. Everybody worked together because we wanted to bring peace to the island of Ireland. That was the result. Thankfully, every day in the North of Ireland people are going about their work. Families are no longer losing their loved ones. On this very small island we had a situation where we would wake up in the morning and hear that a bomb had gone off on whatever side and innocent people were killed. Now, we must use the bit of influence we have and the bit of say that we have. We must stand up and be counted. We must put our shoulder to the wheel on this most serious issue at a most serious time in everybody's life. We must think of the innocent people and what we should do, and can do to support them.

Divisiveness in this House on the issue is wrong. We should all be singing off the same hymn sheet and say that we want to help in every way we can.

See this speech in context