EU response to Gaza
Sinéad Gibney attacks the EU’s silence on Gaza and asks if the Taoiseach is ashamed of it. He says the EU is a major donor to Palestine, but he regrets the lack of unanimity on stronger action and says Ireland is pursuing review and possible suspension measures.
Speaking of which, Taoiseach, are you ashamed of the EU? I know I am. Its descent into moral turpitude has been both swift and shocking. Its silence on Gaza is deafening. No matter what depravity is committed by Israel, the EU refuses to act. No matter how high the death toll, no matter how many children are brutalised, no matter the mass murder, maiming, starvation and decimation, nothing has prompted any action. Israel's genocide has continued unimpeded and uninterrupted by the EU. It has not even managed to agree a joint criticism of Israel yet. A few days ago, I thought there might finally be some action. A review of the EU-Israel association agreement found that Israel was in breach of its human rights obligations but instead of suspending the agreement, the EU did nothing. The issue will be examined again next month and then, again, nothing will happen while people in Gaza continue to be slaughtered. In abandoning the people of Gaza, the EU has abandoned its own values. I am not sure why anyone would take its so-called commitments to human rights and international law seriously ever again. I am asking the Taoiseach: are you ashamed of the EU?
Comment on this
First of all, I would like to point out that the European Union is the single greatest donor to Palestine. It is an important point, although it never gets said.
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It is still Israel's biggest trading partner.
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I am not happy with the fact that we cannot get unanimity across the 27 EU member states.
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To abolish or put into abeyance the EU-Israel association agreement would require unanimity among the 27, and the Deputy knows that. About ten members-----
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It is only the revocation of a privilege.
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We have asked for a review. We asked over a year ago for a review. There may be opportunities to suspend elements of that agreement that would not require unanimity. That is being pursued by Ireland and other like-minded states in respect of this. The Deputy knows that countries like Germany, Hungary, Czechia and others have a long-standing historic position of support for Israel. I regret that, I disagree with it, but the European Union is an association of 27 member states.