The Government must outline how it intends to apply pressure to Israel to prevent a further slaughter in Rafah, according to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns.
“The Tánaiste has been clear that a ground operation in Rafah – where nearly 1.5 million displaced people are sheltering – would constitute a war crime. I agree. The question is, what is the Government doing to apply pressure to stop this further slaughter of Palestinian civilians?
“The Government has been among the loudest critics of Israel’s barbaric actions in Gaza. While this strong language is welcome, it has not been followed up by action.
“For months, the Government has repeatedly refused to adopt measures suggested by the Social Democrats – lobbying for economic sanctions at EU level; indicating support for South Africa’s genocide case at the International Court of Justice; making a referral against Israel to the International Criminal Court for war crimes; withdrawing the diplomatic status of the Israeli ambassador; and enacting the Occupied Territories Bill and the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill.
“In fact, the Government has yet to even summon the Israeli ambassador to express their concern and horror at her government’s actions in Gaza. Bizarrely, the only time a diplomatic sanction was applied was when the Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister summoned the Irish ambassador to complain about comments made by the Taoiseach in November.
“At what point will this Government move beyond mere words to express its outrage at the massacre of nearly 30,000 Palestinian people? When will it take action?”
February 13, 2024