Bríd Smith urges boycott, divestment and sanctions over Gaza
Bríd Smith welcomed the recognition of the Palestinian state and the raising of its flag but warned that symbolic gestures are insufficient. She called for the Irish state to implement boycott, divestment and sanctions and criticised continued ties with Israeli firms and visa fast-tracking.
Recognition and flag
She described the move to recognise the Palestinian state and fly the flag as positive and historic, and asked whether the flag would remain flying as it has for Ukraine. She said continued display of solidarity is important ‘‘for as long as this genocide continues and as long as Palestine is occupied’’. She asked a colleague, Keanu, whether the intention is to keep the flag flying.
Call for boycott, divestment and sanctions
Smith urged the state to take the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign seriously and to impose measures rather than stop at symbolic acts. She framed the action as part of a global movement of solidarity and demanded more concrete steps as violence in Gaza intensifies.
Criticism of state contracts and visa policies
She highlighted that the State pays nearly €300,000 annually to Aeronautics Defence Industries, an Israeli company that maintains Irish drones and makes drones used in Gaza. She questioned why the Government is fast-tracking 100 visas for Israeli engineers to work with Intel while Palestinians are ‘‘sleeping in tents along the canal’’ and having their tents taken from them.
Historical comparison and urgency
Smith invoked the Dunstor strike as a precedent, noting that it took three years of industrial action before legislation was brought in to boycott South African goods and vegetables. She warned against repeating delays and urged swift action to support the people of Gaza.
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Ceann Comhairle, and I want to, like everybody else, welcome everybody into the gallery and the ambassador here, and it's great to see you home, Zach. You're very welcome home, delighted you got back and you and your family are here today. Just like what has been said already by many people, I think it's a very positive and historic move and in advance that we have recognised the Palestinian state today and are flying the flag. I just would like to ask Keanu, maybe he could answer it later, if the intention is to keep the flag flying, like the Ukraine flag has flown for the last two years, because I think it would be important for as long as this genocide continues and as long as Palestine is occupied that we show that solidarity. What we've done is brilliant, but it's been done on the back of a movement that has really overtaken society across all countries, across the world, an absolutely outstanding display of solidarity and support and anger and determination to free the Palestine people. But let's not forget, on Sunday, Israel did murder dozens of children and women in the most brutal way, and as their genocide intensifies, we need to do more than raise a flag. Here I do want to talk about the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign that really needs to be taken hold of by the Irish state and imposed. For example, it has been mentioned already, but it is worth saying that every year this state pays nearly €300,000 to a company called Aeronautics Defence Industries, which is an Israeli company that maintains our drones, but it is also the company that makes drones that drop bombs all over the children of Palestine. I want to ask the question, why is the Irish government fast-tracking 100 visas for Israeli engineers to fly in to work here with Intel, while in the meantime, Palestinians who are fleeing the genocide have to sleep in tents along the canal and then have their tents taken from them? There is a huge disparity between what we say and what we actually do, so I do think it is high time that we implemented the sanctions, the boycott and divestment. People mentioned the Dunstor strike as an example and it is an important one, but they were on strike for three years before the Irish government copped on and did the right thing and brought in legislation that boycotted South African goods and vegetables. Let us not do this to the people of Gaza. Let us act soon.
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