Middle East
Dail Éireann — 2024-06-12
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Ruairí Ó Murchú (SF), Louth

This House has heard previously that Israel behaves as it does because history has taught it that it can act with absolute impunity. For more than 76 years, it has displaced, occupied, annexed, imprisoned and murdered men, women and children, individually and by the dozens, hundreds, thousands and now tens of thousands.
It is welcome that Ireland formally recognised the State of Palestine earlier this month alongside other states. I understand in advance of that, on a phone call with the Israeli President, the Taoiseach expressed concern about the potential for catastrophe in Rafah. Israel does what it does because it feels that it can act with impunity. When the Taoiseach expressed concern about a potential catastrophe arising from the actions of the Israeli Government and its military, what did the Taoiseach tell him would be the consequences of his Government willingly bringing about that catastrophe?
We know what needs to be done as regards divestment. As I said previously, whether it is through my party's Bill or another means, we need to go further. We know the issues there are with the EU-Israel association agreement but we need to see movement beyond what has happened.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2024-06-12/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:53:03+00:00
Sitting date: 2024-06-12