Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)

I commend People Before Profit on its motion. The obstruction of the Occupied Territories Bill for the past six years since it was passed by a majority of TDs has shown up the utter hypocrisy of the Government when it speaks of the rule of international law, of the sanctity of human rights and of the importance of protecting our democracy from interference by nefarious regimes such as Russia. There was a cynical show of support for the Bill to win votes in advance of the general election last year followed by the rubbishing of the Bill by the Taoiseach, who said immediately afterwards that "virtually every section" of the Bill would need to be amended. This is a Bill his own party introduced to the Dáil in 2019 on behalf of Senator Black. The sound legal basis of this Bill has been established by a range of Irish and international experts, among them the former justice Minister and Attorney General, Senator Michael McDowell, who is not known for being on the radical left. The foreign affairs committee recommended the inclusion in the Bill of goods and services. How can you continue to argue against it, and to delay and dilute it, as Palestinians in the West Bank are subjected to unprecedented cycles of abuse and harassment from extremist settlers? Property in the West Bank is routinely ransacked, demolished or taken over; families are terrorised off their land; farm animals are mutilated; and olive plantations are razed to the ground. All of this after Gaza has been destroyed with psychopathic relish by the Israeli army. To continue appeasing these thugs and terrorists is morally bankrupt. I do not know Senator Black has maintained such a level of diplomatic calm and civility with this Government and the previous two Governments over all these years of deceit and deflection. It is a disgrace how you have treated her as the lead campaigner on this Bill; how you have taken such a haughty, moral-high-ground position of Ireland having done more for the Palestinians than any other country; and how you have allowed our democratic process to be interfered with by a rogue state for the past six years. The Government needs to pass the legislation, include goods and services, and stop the deceit.

See this speech in context