Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I second the motion tabled by Senator Averil Power and signed by the majority of Members. I thank the Leader of the House who I understand will accept the motion as a unanimous decision of the Seanad. It is an historic day. As the founder of the Friends of Palestine in the Houses of the Oireachtas in 2003, I note that it is a great occasion when the independent Seanad can legally recognise the state of Palestine. It should become a fully functional state in harmony and co-operation with the state of Israel and not in conflict or competition with it. I welcome to the House the ambassador of Palestine to Ireland, Ahmed Abdelrazek, and thank him for the detailed e-mail to Members. I welcome his colleagues to the House also. I recognise also an e-mail from Boaz Modai, the ambassador from Israel, in which he urges Members not to support the motion. I can only recognise the fact. Israel is taking no action whatsoever to support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. In fact, every move it makes, including the atrocities in the Gaza Strip where so many Palestinians died, has inflamed the passions of other adjoining states and destabilised the Middle East.

I recognise today the work of the late Brian Lenihan senior who was Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1980. He was the first European Minister to recognise the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people. Brian Lenihan was a man who looked to the future and he was a wonderful Minister. I am delighted to be here today to be associated with the motion proposed by Senator Averil Power who put forward an extremely good argument which I support fully. I am proud that the Seanad will recognise the state of Palestine today.