US funding for Israel
Deputy Boyd Barrett condemned a US decision to give major funding to Israel despite the ICJ finding that genocide in Gaza was plausible, and asked whether the Taoiseach accepted that this rewarded genocide. The Taoiseach said he would not tell another sovereign legislature how to spend its money, but reiterated Ireland’s call for an immediate ceasefire.
The International Court of Justice, ICJ, concluded earlier this year that Israel was plausibly committing genocide against the people of Gaza. Yesterday the Government of the United States of America made a decision to give €13 billion to a State that is plausibly - and in my opinion undoubtedly - guilty of genocide. Thousands more people have died since the ICJ ruling. Does the Taoiseach believe it is appropriate that the United States of America should, in effect, reward Israel for genocide? In the context where they are blatantly arming and supporting Israel to continue that genocide does the Taoiseach believe they should continue to have the use of airport facilities in this country at Shannon Airport while they are complicit with that genocide?
Comment on this
It is not for me to tell any other sovereign parliament or congress how they should spend their taxpayers' money. The position of the Irish Government is crystal clear on the need for an immediate cessation of violence in the Middle East. Ireland has been one of the first countries to call for a ceasefire. At a European level we are pursuing the association agreement. I also raised this with President von der Leyen and at the European Council last week. The Tánaiste is in the region this week. We continue to articulate our position and we articulated this at every opportunity we get including with the United States. I did so when I met former Speaker Nancy Pelosi this week in Government Buildings. Ireland's position is very clear; we need an immediate cessation of violence; we need humanitarian aid to not just flow but for the access to be unimpeded; and we need a two-State solution. I believe we need to recognise the state of Palestine.