Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)

I do not doubt all the efforts the Tánaiste and Government are making on the European and world stages to use every sinew of influence and diplomacy to stop the slaughter in Gaza, to call out the outrageous expansion of the illegal settlements and to call for the protection of the Irish citizens on the humanitarian mission on the Sumud flotilla, including Sarah Clancy, a constituent, and two Oireachtas Members. There are many others on that flotilla who all need the support of the Irish Government.

I also do not doubt the shameful hostility that Ministers and our Taoiseach and Tánaiste regularly face from other countries when they back the proposal to partially end the Israel-EU trade agreement. It is an outrage that any EU country would vote to block that partial ending, not even a full ending, of the EU-Israel trade agreement. Beyond the act of politics, there is the economics of peace making. It is really crucial that we in Ireland say that we have not run out of road here. With regard to the occupied territories Bill, we must move forward and we must not hand back. In Ireland, millions of euro are spent every year in State procurement on products purchased from an Israeli manufacturing company. As a trade unionist, I take very seriously that there are jobs in Waterford with Teva pharmaceuticals but the reality is they also have a major contract with the HSE providing pharmaceuticals in this country. We have to look at using every leverage this State has to influence major multinationals with influence in Israel. There maybe talk of peace but it is hardly going to be a lasting deal when it is foisted by one side over another. The ground war is well under way as we know to raze the remaining 800,000 people in Gaza. There is a child dead for every hour of every day over the past 23 months. More journalist lives have been lost in Gaza than in the past 100 years. More journalists lives have been lost than in World War I, World War II, Vietnam and all the other major wars over the last century. I am not sure that we have any real idea of what is happening in Gaza right now.

The key message for the Government today is that there can be no let up in the State’s efforts. I am really clear, as are my colleagues, that while diplomacy and politics are really important we also have to look at the economics of peace making and ensure no stone is let unturned in our country to do what we can to influence and bring peace to Gaza and to all Palestinians.

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