Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate Senator Mary Seery Kearney on the fantastic work she did on this issue. On behalf of the Civil Engagement Group, CEG, I say, “Well done”.

I wish to raise Palestine once again. The European Council will meet this week. As the situation in Gaza worsens and the death toll rises, we hear loud and clear right across Ireland and the world the call for action to hold Israel to account. In the EU context, there are a number of things we can and should specifically do. In particular, I urge the Government to push for suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement under Article 82, which allows either party to suspend the agreement for any reason with a six-month sunset clause. That should be a priority for our Government. We should not facilitate trade with countries that are brazenly violating – I repeat, brazenly violating – the human rights of others.

I also ask that the Government seek a suspension of the memorandum of understanding, MOU, between the EU, Israel and Egypt with regard to fossil gas. This MOU is the first such agreement that does not explicitly exclude resources taken from the occupied territories. We quite rightly stopped buying Russian gas when Russia grossly violated international law and we should now be doing the same with Israel.

In the letter he co-signed with EU council colleagues, the Taoiseach rightly said that the EU’s credibility is at stake. I strongly urge the Taoiseach to push for these measures because by allowing trade to continue and even allowing agreements that incentivise the dispossession of Palestinians, we are complicit in what is happening.

We know how dire this situation is and we cannot continue to allow the EU to stand by while horror, death and destruction unfolds in Gaza. I ask the Government to please try to support what I suggest today.