Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Does the Minister agree that this action by the US Administration is likely to give the green light for further settlements and the violence that comes with that? If he agrees with that, which is self-evident, will he do more than disagree fundamentally with the comments of the US on the issue? Will he condemn those comments? He knows what those comments are aimed at and he has to accept what the consequences are likely to be.

I welcome that the Government has restated its position that all settlement activity is illegal under international law. In that case, why does it seek to block the measure proposed by Senator Francis Black? I understand the measure, which would block the importation of goods made in the illegal settlements, to which the Government and Ministers say they are opposed, has majority support in the House. Why, then, do the Government and Minister seek to block the progress of that Bill with the use of the undemocratic money message veto? The Government will cry crocodile tears about the Palestinians, as is the position of the EU generally. However, the US Chamber of Commerce, which represents the interests of US business and which fundamentally supports the approach of the right-wing Israeli regime, lobbied on the occupied territories Bill.

I again say that the real force for peace are the ordinary working-class people in the Middle East, be they Palestinian, Arab, Israeli or Jewish. The mass mobilisations and marches that we saw on the border checkpoints give a glimpse of how a new mass movement can develop from below, along the lines of the first intifada, which can fight for democratic and socialist change to ensure resources are used for the benefit of all and the national rights of all are respected.

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