I second the amendment proposed by my colleague.

I commend the Kerry branch of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign on what it did yesterday. I was blown away. Kerry IPSC started a walk last Saturday week – it was called “Walk the Petition” – to enact the occupied territories Bill. It got 18,000 signatures by Saturday and a further 22,000 by yesterday evening. That number is probably up to 41,000 now. Kerry IPSC will continue the petition until the Bill is passed. I have to give those involved great credit for what they have done. They did it all by themselves.

A movement to pass the Bill is starting among the Irish people and the Government needs to see what is happening. It is in a bubble and does not really understand what the Irish people are doing. People want the Bill passed. They want action. Condemnation is not enough in light of what is happening in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank. People are being killed in the West Bank, their homes and lands are being taken from them and schools are being terrorised by settlers. It is an absolute disgrace. Ireland needs to take action. It is our obligation to do so. I know I am going on about this and that I went on about it yesterday, but I want to give great credit to Kerry IPSC.

I will quickly discuss this morning’s briefing by the drugs task force in the audiovisual room. I would like a debate on why the task force has not received an increase in funding for the past 12 years. In fact, it has suffered a decrease. I would like the Minister of State, Deputy Colm Burke, to tell the Seanad what is happening.

My colleague, Senator Higgins, referred to the movement of weapons through Irish airspace. When asked about policing our airspace in a recent RTÉ radio interview, the Tánaiste replied that it would not be feasible in the Irish context. Will the Leader bring the Tánaiste to this Chamber to explain why he, as Minister for Defence, does not believe it is feasible for a sovereign state like Ireland to patrol and police its own airspace? It is outrageous that a Minister for Defence would say that.

I agree with everything that my colleague, Senator Clonan, has said. What is happening in Lebanon and Gaza is barbarism. Senator Black has been pushing the occupied territories Bill for a number of years. Looking at what is happening to women and children in Gaza, my heart goes out to her over the pain she must feel, having tried time and again to get the Government to pass the Bill. The only way the butcher Netanyahu will ever come to heel is if he is brought to heel economically. He does not seem to give a continental damn about public opinion anywhere else in the world. The barbarism in Gaza is unacceptable.

I was attacked at the weekend because of my membership of the Israeli friendship group, as were a number of my colleagues. Being a member of an interparliamentary friendship group does not mean we are cheerleaders for the other parliament. It means that we can have frank discussions with our opposite numbers. I will not resign from the Ireland-Israel interparliamentary friendship group. The group can fire me if it wants, but it is about having access to colleagues in another parliament. Netanyahu and his henchmen are war criminals.