Labour demands UN action on Gaza genocide
Labour demands UN action on Gaza genocide - The Labour Party
- Ireland must lead at the United Nations
Labour’s Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Duncan Smith TD today slammed Government response to Labour’s Private Member’s Motion, debated in the Dáil, 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 and has been co-signed by Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats, the Green Party and Independent TD Catherine Connolly.
Deputy Smith said:
“Thousands of lives — children, mothers, fathers, whole families — have been obliterated by Israel’s actions in Gaza, and the international community has failed to act. Homes lie in ruins, schools and hospitals turned to rubble. Israel has wrought starvation, disease and endless suffering on the Palestinian people and still, the world looks away. We cannot do the same. Ireland must act now.
“The scale of this horror is beyond comprehension, and yet it has become routine. For too long, Israel has acted with impunity. Under Netanyahu’s leadership, the Israeli government and the IDF have carried out a mass campaign of genocide. This is not a conflict — this is a crime. And it is a crime enabled by silence.
“There will come a time when much of the globe will be forced to reckon with not just their actions but their inaction — when the world’s complicity in the suffering of the Palestinian people will no longer be denied. The Israeli government does not see the Palestinian people as human. They see them only as an obstacle to be removed. No PR spin can disguise that reality.
“Labour’s motion is clear: Ireland must bring an emergency resolution before the UN General Assembly to break the blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza. This is the least we can do. Other opposition parties and independents have signed on. The Government cannot keep hiding behind diplomatic caution. We must call this what it is — genocide — and demand the world act.
“The Irish people have not stayed silent. We feel a deep sense of solidarity with Palestine. We often say that Ireland has a unique perspective on global injustice — and in this case, that must mean leadership. There is no grey area here. Israel is committing genocide, with the support of powerful allies. Famine, displacement, war crimes — this is the reality for the people of Gaza.
“Labour is calling on the Government to match its words with action. While Ministers have not formally opposed Labour’s motion, they have again failed to take any meaningful step. Their caution is compliance. The time for hand-wringing is over — the time for leadership is now.”