Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

The only topic I can speak on today is the unspeakable horrors we have seen play out in Rafah. I have looked at photos of charred babies who were burned to death. I have watched the video of a man holding up the headless body of a child while fires burn in the background, and shouts and pleas for mercy ring out. I wonder is it mercy from whom - Israel or the world? Western Rafah is where the Israeli army forced Palestinian refugees to flee for their own safety, and those little children were supposed to be safe there.

Of course, today is a proud and emotional day as the national flag of Palestine flies at our Parliament for the first time. It flies beside our own tricolour, a flag of peace, and the flag of Ukraine, where Russia's brutal attack rages on. I think of how differently the big global powers responded to the invasion of Ukraine compared with the effective wipe-out of Gaza. Now that Ireland recognises Palestinian statehood, we must do more to forge a path to peace. It is the only ethical and moral thing left to do.

In 1984, 40 years ago, a courageous group of Dunnes Stores workers led by Mary Manning refused to sell South African goods as a protest against the apartheid regime. This small yet significant act of defiance sparked a movement that would reverberate around the world. Despite threats and suspensions, these workers stood firm, embodying the principle that ethical convictions must outweigh personal and professional costs. Their strike lasted almost three years, ultimately leading to the Government banning South African imports, the first complete ban by a western nation. This victory was not only a triumph for the workers but also a critical blow against apartheid, demonstrating the effectiveness of international solidarity.

As we consider the plight of Palestinians today, the lessons from the Dunnes Stores strike remain relevant. Our support for Palestine should not be mere rhetoric. It is incredibly important that we have now recognised Palestinian statehood but I believe our support must translate into tangible actions such as supporting the boycott, divestment and sanctions, BDS, movement against Israeli apartheid. All of us here today can do that in our day-to-day lives if we choose to when we consider our goods and our purchasing power. Purchasing power speaks volumes under the capitalist society in which we live.We can use power individually ourselves, but we also have options at a political level.

I do not believe that the occupied territories Bill is enough anymore. The Government must engage in a full-blown boycott of Israeli goods, just as we did in the 1980s in protest of apartheid South Africa. We must not allow American bombs and weapons land on Irish soil. The Government of Ireland must engage in a full-blown economic-cultural sanction against Israel.

We cannot undo the damage that has been done to the Palestinian people but now we must do something. We have had perpetual statements in both Houses on this, and I am not sure if it is even worthwhile calling for more statements on it. I ask the Acting Leader to feed back to the Government that I think we need to do more and step up more. We need to move from flying the flag outside to actual full-blown economic sanctions against Israel.