Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is good that the Minister has come to the House. I have three brief quotes. The first we heard on "Morning Ireland" on Friday from a 23-year-old Palestinian writer who said:

Then the aeroplanes bombed a target, and the target was children. I saw them. I saw their blood. I saw their remains, to be specific. It was really heartbreaking to see these innocent children getting killed and getting torn into pieces.

The Palestinian foreign minister, Dr. Riyad al-Maliki, said:

There are no words to describe the horrors our people are enduring. Israel is killing Palestinians in Gaza, one family at a time. Israel is trying to uproot Palestinians from Jerusalem, expelling families, one home, one neighbourhood at a time. Israel is persecuting our people, committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Some may not want to use these words but they know they are true.

The final quote is from the Israeli ambassador to Ireland yesterday on the "News at One" on RTÉ. He said "the vast majority of people killed in Gaza are Hamas terrorists or Hamas members." How does one begin to address that? I welcome what the Minister said but I am very clear. Words are not enough.The Palestinians with whom we have been engaging all weekend have been telling us that words are not enough. We have an incredibly powerful voice because we are on the UN Security Council. The Minister needs to use that voice. He can do it very clearly by recognising the state of Palestine. That has to happen now. He should also recognise that we are dealing with an apartheid state. That is incredibly important. We must pass the occupied territories Bill. We must stand up for the people of Palestine. The Minister will be failing them if he does not act. We need more than words.