David Norris (Independent)

I join my colleagues in welcoming the fact there will be a debate tomorrow on the situation in Gaza. The flotilla of peace attacked by the Israeli defence forces was approaching the coastline of Gaza but was in international waters, which makes this an unprovoked act of piracy on the part of the Israeli authorities. This is now Israel's equivalent of Bloody Sunday and will turn world opinion massively against it. It remains to be seen, however, whether it will turn governments against it. The Israelis have already started a smear campaign by calling the convoy of ships a "flotilla of hate" and attempting to associate it with Hamas, al-Qaeda and terrorism. We need to be careful about the language used. It also is important to point out that a significant demonstration took place yesterday at the Cenotaph in London at which a group of Hasidic Jews dressed in traditional costumes held up banners that said things like "Judaism rejects the Zionist state and condemns its criminal siege and occupation". There are voices within international Jewry and within Israel that protest against such violations of human rights and this must be put on the record to stem any attempt to use this event for anti-Semitic purposes.

There are things Members must do. The Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs discussed the Goldstone report and recommended that it be referred to the International Criminal Court and Members should see this through. As for the EuroMed agreement, there have been items on the Order Paper for a couple of years in which a number of Members, myself included, called for the monitoring of the human rights protocols that are attached to it. They do not even bother. They have turned their faces away and will not see what is happening, which makes a farce of human rights.

Members of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs asked in recent weeks that Ireland should consider its position on welcoming Israel into the OECD. While Ireland alone could have vetoed that, we did nothing. Perhaps now there will be some action. As someone who admires Barack Obama, I believe it is time for him to step up to the plate and make America's position perfectly clear, if they believe in human rights.