Ireland’s deputy premier has defended the government’s actions on Palestine, stating it was the first EU country to call Israel’s actions genocide.
Ireland’s premier and deputy premier have both accused Israel of genocide in the Irish parliament for the first time this week.
The Irish government has been pressured to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements, introduce powers to remove the Irish Central Bank’s role in allowing the sale of Israel Bonds in the EU, and to stop flights reportedly carrying munitions to the Middle East from passing through Ireland.
The Irish government recognised Palestinian statehood a year ago and has pushed for a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
Ireland has also intervened in South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide at the International Criminal Court (ICC), asking the court to broaden its interpretation of what constitutes genocide.
Deputy premier Simon Harris was pressed in the Dail parliament on Thursday on whether Israel was being treated differently to Russia and was accused of “standing over a narrative that is utterly false” on the conflict in the Middle East.
Responding to independent TD Catherine Connolly, he said that a Bill banning the trade of goods with illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands would be progressed to the foreign affairs committee in June.
Defending the government’s stance, he said: “We are the first government in the European Union to say what Israel is doing is genocide. It is genocide.
“We’re working to support the people of Palestine and the only chamber I ever go into in the entire world where people don’t acknowledge that Ireland, the government, the people of Ireland, are standing with the people of Palestine, standing up for human rights, standing up for international law, is here when you get up and distort – with your ideology – the actions of this government.
“I’m proud of the people of this country. I’m proud that we went into an election, and it didn’t matter what party you were in, you stood up and said ‘We are going to support the people of Palestine’.
“Get beyond yourself with this narrative of you have all the moral authority and we’re a terrible people.
“I’m disgusted and sickened – sickened – watching children dying on our television screens and every day I come to work and work with all the people in here to do our best to show leadership at a time of horrific conflict.”
On Wednesday, Taoiseach Micheal Martin defended his government’s decision not to support Sinn Fein’s Bill proposing to empower Ireland’s Finance Minister to end the Central Bank’s role in facilitating the sale of Israel Bonds in the EU.
“We have been very consistent in our support to the Palestinian people and their right to self determination, and in condemning the war crimes and the genocide that is occurring right now,” Mr Martin said in the Dail.
He added: “The focus has to be relentlessly on the policies of Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Israeli government made up of extreme far-right elements who are committing genocide in Gaza right now.
“And the most effective way – let’s call a spade a spade and you know it – the most effective way is to persuade as many member states within the European Union, and indeed United States, to pull its support from the state of Israel, in terms of what it’s doing.”
