Paul Hosford: Government motion on Gaza will raise pressure from the public

The Government's proposal on the conflict in Gaza on Tuesday came up shorter than some wanted. It will only mean a bigger push for action by both the Opposition and the public

Some of the destruction from the Israeli bombardment in the Nusseirat refugee camp in Gaza Strip on Friday, January 19. Photo: AP/Adel Hana

International stories do not always stay on the top of the Irish news agenda.

For those that make it to the front pages, the shelf-life is generally short enough as the media and public move on to other, newer things.

The bombardment of Gaza isn't like that. Irish people have not wavered from consuming news about the Palestinian enclave, have not stopped protesting, have not stopped sharing the horrors online, and have not stopped raising the issue in the Dáil.

This week saw the Social Democrats use their Private Members' time to bring a motion that called on the Government to join South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice against Israel. The court on Friday found that some of the alleged acts by Israel could potentially fall under the Genocide Convention.

The Social Democrats had raised the wider issue in mid-November, bringing a motion calling for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador, and party leader Holly Cairns had captured the mood of a sizeable portion of the public with impassioned speeches both on the floor of the chamber and when she spoke to protesters outside the Leinster House complex at the time.

In the intervening days, with the situation in Gaza worsening, Ms Cairns and others in both Opposition and Government have raised the plight of Palestinian people on multiple occasions, with the Social Democrats opting to bring its motion calling for Ireland to join the South African case to the chamber on Wednesday, but found a march being stolen on them late on Monday.

Around 10pm, party leaders were informed that the Government intended to change Tuesday's order paper. Gone from the Government Business slot was the second stage reading of the Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023 and in its place was a motion on the conflict in Gaza. 

Led by Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin, the motion expresses "its deepest concern at catastrophic humanitarian disaster in Gaza" and "deeply deplores the major food insecurity on a massive scale with UN agencies warning of imminent famine affecting 400,000 people" and condemns the ongoing bombardment of Gaza.

But, on the substantive issue, the Government's proposal came up shorter than some of the Opposition wanted. While it said Ireland would support any decision taken by the court, it would "strongly consider an intervention in the...case" and only after the court makes its order on preliminary measures "and the filing by South Africa of its memorial in the case following the necessary legal and policy analysis".

For Ms Cairns, it was a cop-out as she said the Government was kicking the decision "to touch".

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“We are told the Government will 'strongly consider' an intervention in the South African case — but only after the preliminary ruling has been made and after South Africa files its substantive case.

“That, as I am sure the minister knows, could take months.”

Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald, in the Tuesday debate, questioned the lack of the word "ceasefire" in the Government motion and said that the motion differentiated Israel from Israeli settlers, wondering had we "slipped into an alternate universe".

Her colleague Pa Daly on Wednesday said that the Government's motion "sounds to me like someone who is looking for an excuse not to do anything. It sounds to me like a Government that does not care", which hammered home the position the Government has found itself in since October 7. 

An outlier in Europe, pushing harder for a ceasefire and an end to Israeli aggression but at home leaving itself open to criticism of inaction and indifference from the Opposition as a public which cannot turn away but cannot impact the situation appeals to someone, anyone who it believes can.

With the case moving forward in the ICJ, the Government's "strong consideration" about joining South Africa will see it continued to be pushed for action by both the Opposition and the public.