Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I support the Private Members' motion tabled by the Social Democrats. I am disappointed with the Government's amendment. The only thing in common that the motion and the amendment call for is a ceasefire, on which we all agree. We all call for this and we all need to push for it. What we are witnessing before our very eyes is the annihilation of Gaza and its people. So far more than 11,000 people are dead and more than 5,000 children have been murdered. The figure is more than 100 children killed every day. This will just get worse. We will see more people die and more children killed in the days to come.

This is an unprecedented act of ethnic cleansing by the Israeli state. It is already five times more deadly than the deadliest assault to date in 2014. It has seen more people displaced than the Nakba. The WHO has said that Al-Shifa Hospital is becoming a cemetery. Its most recent statement did not call but pleaded with Israel to stop the carnage. It has called Gaza a graveyard for children. There are babies dying in incubators because hospitals have run out of fuel, let alone water, food and medicine. What we are witnessing is a mass ethnic cleansing of Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of people have been pushed out of the north to the south, where they face constant airstrikes and a total blockade of water, food, fuel and medical supplies. Nowhere is safe.

We have deep economic, diplomatic and security ties with the countries giving unconditional support and aid to Israel. This is what our allies and trading partners in Europe, the US and the UK are doing right now. The EU claims to be a democratic project yet it allows Israel to implement a totally undemocratic project of apartheid and genocide and break international law again and again while Ursula von der Leyen stands on the world stage and offers Israel unconditional support. We have a moral duty to end this genocide. We cannot be a party to it. We can no longer allow our taxes to go to a state that is murdering children and babies and has implemented a decades-long regime of apartheid and ethnic cleansing.

Despite the propaganda from both sides, and despite the massive information war being waged by the Israeli state, ordinary people are watching on with total horror as we witness the destruction of Gaza. They are watching this all unfold wondering how on earth the world is letting it happen. People are sick to their stomachs thinking Ireland, through our international ties and through EU funding, could be in any way complicit in a state carrying out a blatant genocide. While we support the Government's call for an immediate ceasefire, words are not good enough any more. We need immediate action to put economic and diplomatic pressure on Israel to stop the bloodshed.

Everybody in the House has called for the release of hostages. I have called for it. We need to force a ceasefire. There will be no release of hostages without one. We need a campaign from the Government to suspend all EU funding for Israel and pass the two divestment Bills in the House so that not a cent more of Irish taxpayers' money goes directly towards the Israeli state's ethnic cleansing. We should expel the ambassador. There is no mandate in this country for a diplomat from a state carrying out genocide. In the past day or so South Africa has recalled its ambassador in Israel and accused Israel of genocide in Gaza. Bolivia has cut all diplomatic ties with Israel. We should recognise the Palestinian state right away. In June the Tánaiste said the Government would be in favour of recognition of Palestinian statehood if there was no progress towards a two-state solution. This was reaffirmed in September. Netanyahu said there would be no place for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza after this campaign. There is clearly no intention from Israel to allow unified authority or a two-state solution. Its bombs are destroying any hope of this as we speak. This is the time to recognise Palestine.

While I support the Government's call for an immediate ceasefire, words are not good enough any more. We need immediate action to put economic and diplomatic pressure on Israel to force a ceasefire. I welcome the 13,000 emails we have received from people calling on the House to call for a ceasefire.

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