Israel's actions described as 'genocide' during Dáil motion

Palestinians search for survivors of the Israeli bombing in Rafahon Wednesday. Richard Boyd Barrett told the Dáil that Israeli Government officials, military commanders, and prominent people in the Israeli regime have "made clear their genocidal intent". Photo: AP/Hatem Ali)

Politicians have strongly condemned the "evil" actions of Israel which have been described as "genocide" in the Dáil.

Calling on the Government to exercise this country's responsibilities under the Genocide Convention, members of the Opposition pointed to 14,000 people, including 6,000 children, who have been killed in the Palestinian enclave over the past five weeks and 1.7 million people who have been displaced.

Tabling the motion Richard Boyd Barrett said Israeli Government officials, military commanders, and prominent people in the Israeli regime have "made clear their genocidal intent".

"They have done this by warning they will cut off food and electricity; by referring to Palestinians as animals; by talking about inflicting a new Nakba—a new catastrophe—on the Palestinians; and by talking about things such as erasing the Gaza Strip from the face of the Earth. I could go on."

His People Before Profit-Solidarity colleague, Gino Kenny, said millions of people across the world, including tens of thousands in Ireland, have taken to the streets in cities to show their solidarity and absolute horror at what has gone on in the last six weeks in Gaza.

"We cannot treat Israel like a normal state. It subjects the Palestinian people to apartheid and it is a state of racism. The only way the State of Israel survives is the perpetual oppression of the Palestinian people and the perpetual sense of violence and brutality against them," Mr Kenny said.

Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister, Micheál Martin, said opposition motions did not get 51 Irish citizens out of Gaza in recent days, and instead "diplomacy did".

Mr Martin said Ireland's perspective is "influential" at European level and there is now a "growing realisation" among member states that the EU needs to do much more to deliver a two-state solution to ensure peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

He said: "It has been impossible to witness the events in the Middle East since October 7 without feeling utter dismay, horror and ever-increasing anger and alarm. I have no doubt that members across the Dáil share these sentiments, and I know the Irish public do too."

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He also took aim at members of the Opposition and others who he accused of mounting a "broader disinformation campaign" following his trip to Israel, the West Bank and Egypt last week, which "in itself was illustrative in terms of how people want to either undermine objectivity and impartiality and fair assessment of how we all approach this issue".

"I took every opportunity to stress the need for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, for de-escalation, and for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, including Emily Hand.

"During my visit, I also visited the Sderot area in southern Israel, meeting with families and communities affected by the terrible Hamas attacks of October 7. I regret very much that Deputy Murphy seems to think the visit to Kibbutz Be'eri was a propaganda visit. It was not anything of the sort."

Sinn Féin's Matt Carthy appealed to the Government to take action and show leadership. "I ask it to tell the world that Ireland demands adherence to international law by every actor in every conflict and that it will condemn war crimes regardless of who commits them," he said.

Labour TD Aodhán Ó Riordáin said "evil" is being witnesses day after day in "what appears to be the destruction of an entire people" and the "bloodthirsty rhetoric", which he said is completely unsurprising to anyone who has observed this conflict over a period of years.