Shane Ross (Independent)

I join the call for a debate on the Middle East, but perhaps it should not happen quite yet. It is somewhat dangerous to talk in the heat and passion of the incident which has just happened. As all right-thinking Members in the House have said, it is an appalling situation where babies and children, or any innocent human beings, lose their lives. It appears this debate provokes sometimes unreasonable passions and it provokes anti-Israeli feeling which is ingrained in the minds of some Members of this House. I noticed in particular Senator Leyden's language. He talked about 100 Palestinians being slaughtered but he also said three Israelis were killed as well. That type of language puts one killing on one level and the other on another. That is the danger we are getting into in this debate. We all despise, condemn and are repulsed by the loss of human life. If the Israelis commit atrocities they must be condemned but we must not fall into the trap of not condemning those on the other side who also commit atrocities.