Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)

Like everyone else in here and like most of the world, we are all outraged by what has been happening in Gaza to the Palestinian people for almost the past two years. It is terrible. It is horrible. No words I can use could capture the wrong that has been done.

I look at the Deputy across from me, from Wexford, Deputy Brennan, who spoke yesterday evening in such an eloquent and heartfelt way about children who are being killed before they even see the light of day. It is so wrong. Growing up as a young fellow, we were told about the terrible things Hitler did. We know he did terrible things, but to my mind what is happening now is altogether worse, if it is even possible to measure such a thing.

We are speaking in this Chamber and we were elected to represent the people of Ireland, and as far as I am concerned, to represent the people of Kerry. The people I talk to every day are so upset and they ask me what we can do. We are powerless in this Chamber. All we can do is talk, but we have to talk. I always believe in saying what is on my mind. I do not go behind the back door to say what I have to say. I do not talk in riddles.

I am very disappointed because I am someone who was brought up to appreciate America - the USA. Two of my uncles, my father's brothers, and two of his sisters, went out there in the late 1950s and early 1960s and they told us about the great country that it was. We are so disappointed with the Administration there now. We could blame one man, Trump, but there is a government and administration there and surely there should be some kind of humanity in those people. They should try to stop what is going on and stop giving them guns, money and whatever they are giving them to keep going because it is so wrong.

A human life is precious, and to think that little children are being blown out of it and are buried under apartments and buildings, it is so wrong, and the rest of the world has to stand idly by and can do nothing to help poor, innocent people. I am so sorry I cannot do anything. I know all of you are disappointed and concerned about it.

We respect those people who went out on the flotilla, and I know they are trying to do good, but my advice to them is not to have any more people go because it is not safe there. They need to understand that. There is no logic in Netanyahu's mind. If he appears in any other part of the world outside of Israel or outside of America, he should be incarcerated and never again let see the light of day. That is how I feel, I feel so badly about him. We always heard that the fine must fit the crime, and you pay according to the harm that you did, but there is no explanation, no understanding and no forgiveness anywhere for what he is doing to poor, innocent people, and they having no place to sleep and them covered in debris and everything. It is horrible. I hope, however long we live, that we never again see anything like this in any other part of the world. Words cannot describe the hurt I am feeling for innocent children, elderly people, mothers and fathers, and the whole lot of them. What is going on is so disgraceful.

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