Richard Boyd Barrett: Govt Gaslighting Over Sanctions

Minister, just a few days ago the Irish Mood Flotilla activists urged the government, every single one of them, put out a video while they were on the boats, before they were kidnapped, asking the government to support a sanctions bill last night. The government, after issuing statements condemning their kidnapping and their abuse at the hands of the violent settler, Ben Giver, then trooped in here and voted against a bill proposing sanctions against the state of Israel, having said, just before that, there should be no business, as usual, with the Israeli regime that is guilty, not just of the abuse of the Flotilla activists, which is disgusting, but that has given us a glimpse about the barbarism and brutality that is inflicted on the Palestinians, prisoners, tortured, abused, the genocide in Gaza, the ethnic cleansing, the apartheid, the brutal suppression of their rights, and yous voted against imposing sanctions on them when the activists appealed to you on the Flotilla to vote for it. You're gaslighting the Irish public. Thank you, Deputies. So, just to touch on a number of points, and I think it's important that you mentioned what is our longer-term objective here, and we can't lose sight of that either, even though it seems impossible in some ways that a two-state solution would still be a focus and a priority. It has to be, and that's why Ireland continues to be actively involved in the Global Alliance on the Two-State Solution. That's why I hosted with others a conference in Croke Park at the beginning of this year, where we explained and set out our own experience of what's happened in the north, and how at times when it seemed impossible, AP's process would be possible, that we worked at it, and that obviously this is something we're still working on. So, we need to make sure, and I discussed this with the Archbishop as well, that we are focused on a two-state solution and what that looks like, despite all of the complications and the difficulties that we're in at the moment. Secondly, whether you agree or disagree with the approach taken by the Flotilla, I certainly understand why people have taken this approach. I think people in Ireland feel and want to do something, and many feel that they can't, and these types of actions have been taken. But I'm very clear, whether you agree or disagree with it, they were illegally detained in international waters. It's completely against the law, and that is why I and other countries have, in our strongest term possible, objected to this and have raised this at the highest level, and will continue, and I will continue, to push for change and response at an EU level. And I've been doing that since this week, but I've been doing that for the last number of weeks as well. In terms of the Sanction Bill, Deputy, an outright blanket ban has no legal basis. Trade is an EU competency, we all know that. Trade is an EU competency, we all know this. However, when it comes to the answer, that's fine. Even in the situation with Russia, we don't have a blanket ban that you were proposing on this. Let's be clear on that. You have unintended consequences for citizens. You have citizens in Israel who do not agree with what the Israeli government are doing. By imposing a blanket ban in the way that you're talking about, in a way that we haven't imposed with Russia or any other countries, you are imposing a blanket ban, but also, it is an EU competency, and that is why we're advocating for the suspension of the EU-Israel Trade Association Agreement at an EU level. Separately, the OTB, this is specific to the occupied territories, which has already been made very clear in international law, in which the EU agrees with, these are illegally occupied territories. And that is why we are pursuing the OTB, that is why I will publish legislation in the coming weeks, but we will also, in tandem with that, pursue action at an EU level when it comes to the overall Trade Association Agreement. But again, I think we have to make sure that we don't lose sight of the fact that in Gaza, you still have hundreds of thousands, millions of people who are not getting access to appropriate humanitarian aid, food, water, they are not getting the assistance that they need. We have to focus on the fact that the Palestinian authorities still have billions of euros owed to them by the Israeli government, that they're not being given. We have to remain focused on the fact that the second stage of the peace agreement is not progressing, because our efforts are focused on all of the other conflicts that are happening. So I am, and my government, and this government is at every step of the way, making sure that our focus remains on this while trying to build a consensus that I've just outlined. Deputy McAuliffe, your constituents asked you to vote for the Sanctions Bill. They asked you to vote for the Sanctions Bill, and then you walked in here and voted against it. And all of the Irish participants asked specifically their constituency TDs, government and opposition, to vote for the Sanctions Bill, and the government TDs voted against it. And then they come in here saying there should be sanctions against Israel. I mean, that's gaslighting, that's duplicity, and it is designed to convey the impression that the government is going to do something when the government has done nothing. And it is the impunity that Israel has been extended by our government, by the EU, that emboldens them to say, we can do anything. We can torture people, we can commit genocide, we can kidnap people on the high seas, we can do apartheid, we can invade Lebanon, we can bomb Iran. Nobody's going to do anything. And so far, they've been proven right, because nobody in this government has done anything. We continue the complicity. Thank you, Jeffrey. So, on the EU-Israel Association Agreement, before the last meeting, I wrote directly to the High Representative to Kaya Callas asking that this issue be put on the agenda. I engaged with other colleagues who also signed that letter, so Spain and Slovenia in particular, and the discussion last week, while the vote specifically was on the sanction of violent settlers, the discussion also focused on, and I advocated again in the Council meeting with all of our colleagues, that this would be put to a vote. It wasn't put to a vote at the last meeting, I've advocated that it be put to a vote as soon as possible, preferably the next Council meeting, which is in early June. I'm since then engaging, and my team is engaging with other countries, to try and build that consensus that there would be a vote, and that we would be voting on this, but potentially, and my preference is that we would also vote on a new proposal that would ban trade in the illegal occupied territories. There are two options here, but in relation to this, I've written to the High Representative, this has been shared with all of Member States, we've discussed it at the last meeting, and I'm pushing for it now to be voted on. In terms of Bishop Somaly, I suppose the conversation that I had with him directly, he spoke about the increase in violence, as someone who's lived in the region all his life, he spoke about the change that he's seen, but actually what struck me is the fact that he spoke about how he works with people from both sides, from Israel, from Palestine, and how he sees a hopeful future, and how he sees still an opportunity for Israel and Palestine, and Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side. I think that gave me a sense that people on the ground still have that hope, and that we need to continue to focus on that overall objective and that goal, as difficult as that might seem. In terms of Flotilla, again, I cannot condemn in any stronger way possible the actions by the Israeli government in illegally detaining Irish and other citizens in international waters that is completely against international law. We have stressed this, but I think the only way that we can at this stage take firm action is that the EU collectively responds by suspending the trade element of the Association Agreement, and that we move to ban trade in the illegal settlements as well. At home, I've given that clear commitment again. I'll bring forward legislation in the coming weeks. And Deputy, there are many people who don't agree with the sanctions bill that you put forward, because it is a blanket ban. But I'm sorry, I've spoken to many of them. I've spoken to many people, because we don't impose it in any other sanctions regime, because what you have are unintended consequences for citizens who don't agree with the actions that are being taken by Israel, who don't agree with the actions of Netanyahu or any of those members of the IDF, where we've seen that there have been clear breaches of international law. But we will work to build that consensus. I will work to build that consensus at a European level, and just to assure deputies that those who are on board the flotilla, those who are now on their way to the airport, our officials will meet with them there, and we will make sure that they are safe and that they are supported. Thank you.