Irish diplomacy must lead the way
Irish diplomacy must lead the way - The Labour Party
- Taoiseach must move motion at UN seeking international peacekeeping force for Gaza
- Protest for peace – outside Leinster House today at 5pm
Labour Leader Ivana Bacik TD has today called on Government to act on the Labour Party motion which called on Ireland to bring an emergency resolution to the United Nations General Assembly to demand action on Gaza. The motion highlighted the devastating blockade of humanitarian aid. Speaking during a Labour Party motion in the Dáil, Deputy Bacik urged Government to act on its words and use Ireland’s international standing to help protect civilians and bring an end to the relentless suffering.
Deputy Bacik said:
“We know what the Israeli Government is planning to do – they have told us. And they are doing it in plain sight. Homes destroyed. Families wiped out. International law ignored. In the face of that, words are not enough. The scale of human suffering in Gaza demands real action.
“Ireland has a proud history of standing for peace, justice, and international law. Our diplomatic influence matters – and we must use it. Ireland and Spain led the charge in calling for a review of the EU-Israel trade deal, and we are seeing more and more Member States joining us in opposition. That is welcome, but it is not enough.
“People across Ireland are pleading with us as public representatives. They are asking us to act – to reflect the values that define us as a country: humanitarianism, equality, solidarity, and peace. They want us to be their voice.
“The international community is failing Gaza. The UN Security Council has failed to do its most basic job – to maintain international peace. And in failing to act, the UN is failing in all our names. That’s why Ireland must take a stand. We welcome that the Government is not opposing our motion – but we need more than quiet agreement. We need real, immediate action.
“The Government has now started work on drafting a new Occupied Territories Bill. But this cannot be a diluted version of what has already passed Second Stage in this House. Anything less would be an insult to those who have already lost everything.
“The time has come to prove whose side we are on. Silence is complicity. Delay is complicity. Half-measures are complicity. The people of Gaza cannot afford any more of any of those.
“Labour is calling on the Government to act now: support the implementation of today’s motion; use Ireland’s influence to push for a UN peacekeeping force; and ensure the new Occupied Territories Bill matches the ambition of the one already before the Dáil. We must show leadership. We must show humanity. We must act.”