Mairéad Farrell: Ireland must act as EU fails on Israel
Sinn Féin TD Mairéad Farrell addresses the Dáil, condemning the EU decision not to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement and calling on Ireland to act. She accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza and breaches of international law, and urges the government to pass the Occupied Territories Bill and restrict military use of Shannon Airport.
Farrell calls the EU's refusal to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement an act of profound moral cowardice, arguing that Israel has violated the human rights conditions attached to the agreement. She accuses Israeli forces of committing genocide in Gaza, murdering civilians in the West Bank, waging an illegal war against Iran and bombing Lebanon, and says EU leaders have failed to uphold international law.
Farrell urges the Irish government to act where Europe will not: to pass the Occupied Territories Bill in full and to restrict trade in goods and services with occupied territories. She raises concerns about University of Galway links with the Technion and the Nelson Mandela Foundation reviewing its association with the university, and she criticises continued US military use of Shannon Airport amid what she describes as an illegal war.
Decision criticised
Farrell calls the EU's refusal to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement an act of profound moral cowardice, arguing that Israel has violated the human rights conditions attached to the agreement. She accuses Israeli forces of committing genocide in Gaza, murdering civilians in the West Bank, waging an illegal war against Iran and bombing Lebanon, and says EU leaders have failed to uphold international law.
Domestic action demanded
Farrell urges the Irish government to act where Europe will not: to pass the Occupied Territories Bill in full and to restrict trade in goods and services with occupied territories. She raises concerns about University of Galway links with the Technion and the Nelson Mandela Foundation reviewing its association with the university, and she criticises continued US military use of Shannon Airport amid what she describes as an illegal war.
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Transcript
Cathaoirleach, Ára, the decision not to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement is an act of profound moral cowardice. Israel has violated every aspect of the human rights conditions attached to the agreement. They are committing genocide in Gaza, they are murdering citizens in the West Bank, they have started an illegal war against Iran and now they are also bombing Lebanon. This is not a normal government, this is a rogue state that has crossed every red line and engaged in egregious breaches of human rights and international law. Yet since this genocide in Gaza began, EU leaders have failed in their commitments to human rights, failed to uphold international law and failed to stand up to Israel. And again this week the EU had the opportunity to finally send a clear message to Israel by suspending the EU-Israel Association and they shamefully chose not to. And in this chamber we cannot sit around and wait for the EU to act. This government must take trade with Israel into their own hands and pass the Occupied Territories Bill in full, with goods and with services. Ireland can and should act where Europe will not. And it does take me to another point, Minister, and that is in relation to the Technion contract or the Technion, I suppose, the links that the University of Galway have with that Israeli institution. And it is deeply concerning that yesterday the Shah Law exposed that the Nelson Mandela Foundation is now reviewing the use of Nelson Mandela's name by that university because of its links with Technion. This is something that a lot of campaigners in Galway have long campaigned on. They have asked the university to end any links with that Israeli institution and it is high time that they do just that. It is a shame that the Nelson Mandela Foundation is forced to review, I suppose, their relationship with the university. But I assume that they feel that under the moral circumstances they are compelled to do so, given the use of Nelson Mandela's name by that university. I would also like to make one other final point, Minister, and that is in relation to the continued use by the US military of Shannon Airport. Too often I have heard government TDs and ministers talk about the illegal war in Iran in totally and utterly abstract circumstances. Do we have full control in relation to this? No, absolutely not. Nobody is saying that we do. But it is outrageous that we continue to allow the use of Shannon Airport by the US military as they continue with their illegal war in Iran and atrocities around the world.