Nash calls for immediate suspension of EU-Israeli Association Agreement
Nash calls for immediate suspension of EU-Israeli Association Agreement - The Labour Party
- Occupied Territories Bill must be passed next week – including goods and services
- Irish vetoes must be deployed to ensure Israel is finally held accountable
Labour’s finance spokesperson Ged Nash TD has paid tribute to the 15 brave Irish people who took part in the Global Sumud Flotilla, putting their own safety at risk to once again bring the eyes of the world back to Gaza.
Speaking during Leaders’ Questions, Deputy Nash called on Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee to suspend the EU-Israeli Association Agreement, stating that letters are words are no longer enough.
Deputy Nash said:
“The EU’s approach to the systematic crimes of Israel has been contemptible. It has been an abrogation of both our legal and moral responsibilities.
“If European values are to mean anything again, if we are to recover some moral authority on the world stage, the EU-Israeli Association Agreement must be suspended now, not in a months’ time. This is a real test for Ireland.
“I am also calling on Government to clear the decks next week to pass the Occupied Territories Bill – to include goods and services – not in a couple of weeks time.
“It’s eight years since the Occupied Territories bill was first introduced in the Seanad, and 18 months since the General Election when both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil promised to pass the Occupied Territories Bill.
“Since then we’ve had vacillation, dilution, and backtracking on services. In that time nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, almost 70,000 injured.
“Seven months into a so-ceasefire, aid is still restricted into Gaza resulting in an ongoing humanitarian disaster. Israel continues to expand settlements in the West Bank while settlers act with impunity, and it has introduced the death penalty for Palestinians.
“When is enough enough with this apartheid regime? The actions of Ben-Gvir are the actions of a fascist. This should come as no surprise to any of us. This behaviour is enabled by a sick regime that knows it can commit genocide with no consequences.
“The Irish Government must be brave. It should take unilateral action now. Ireland must enact the Occupied Territories Bill, it must ensure the trade agreement is finally suspended, including deploying Irish vetoes to pause other EU initiatives to ensure Israel is finally held to account.
“Nothing less will do in the face of an apartheid state that is committing acts of genocide.”