Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last Saturday I addressed a rally in London on the situation in Palestine to mark the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration. It was a fantastic event which was attended by thousands of people. It is interesting to note that the rally was stopped three times by a combination of Zionists and English fascists working together. Zionist and "Muslims out of Europe" flags were waving in the breeze together. That tells us all we need to know about the Zionist philosophy. It was also wonderful to see so many Jewish speakers at the rally in support of the Palestinian people. They did not hesitate in calling Israel an apartheid state. I remind the Leader of the remarks of Desmond Tutu who also called Israel an apartheid state. He said silence in the face of injustice amounted to complicity with the oppressor. I do not understand why this country has not recognised the state of Palestine. Three years ago all parties in the Dáil voted unanimously to recognise it, yet the Taoiseach and his predecessor have refused to respect the result of that vote by stating the country recognises the state of Palestine. I find the silence from the Fine Gael benches absolutely appalling as everybody knows what is happening in Israel. Senator Burke of Fine Gael knows this and has spoken to me about the injustices in the apartheid sate of Israel. We know that Gaza has been declared by the United Nations to be a place in which people will no longer be able to live by 2020. I am calling on the Leader to do something about the matter. Why can Fine Gael not do the right thing and call on the Taoiseach to recognise the state of Palestine? Everyone else knows that is the right thing to do and it is appalling that it has not yet been done. I am calling for a debate with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in order that he can explain his silence and refusal to recognise the state of Palestine and the result of a democratic vote in the Dáil three years ago.