Ann Graves: Stop Israel Sporting Fixtures - No Games!
Ann Graves addresses the Dáil in support of a motion to exclude Israel from sporting fixtures, endorsing the Stop the Game campaign and demanding accountability for alleged crimes in Gaza. She urges the government to refuse the Ireland v Israel matches and pursue boycotts, divestment and sanctions.
Motion and support
Ann Graves speaks in the Dáil to back a motion brought by the Social Democrats to exclude Israel from sporting fixtures. Sinn Féin and a wide Stop the Game coalition - including clubs, unions, students and pro-Palestinian groups - are named as supporters of the campaign to prevent Ireland v Israel fixtures in September and October.
Coalition across Ireland
Graves outlines a broad base of organisations and individuals campaigning against sportswashing. She frames the campaign as a collective effort by football clubs, fan clubs, trade unions, players and students to ensure sporting events do not legitimise alleged crimes in Gaza.
Historical precedent
Graves recalls the 1984 Dunnes strike and the Irish boycott of apartheid South Africa as a precedent for national action. She argues that Ireland's past stance against apartheid shows how boycott measures can contribute to international accountability and change.
Why the games must be stopped
Graves asserts that hosting or playing Israel legitimises genocide and offers cover for alleged statute violations, apartheid and war crimes. She rejects proposals to move fixtures behind closed doors or to other countries, describing such moves as cowardly and insisting the games must not proceed anywhere.
Call to government
Graves demands government leadership and rejects passing responsibility to sporting bodies or players. She urges ministers to honour Ireland's values of human rights, justice and international law and to stand with the Palestinian people by stopping the games now.
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I want to thank the Social Democrats for bringing this motion forward today and also to congratulate Chapel Ennis on his maiden speech. Sinn Féin fully supports the motion to exclude Israel from sporting fixtures. We also stand with the Stop the Game campaign which includes a huge number of organisations and individuals right across Ireland. Football clubs, fan clubs, trade unions, students, players and pro-Palestinian groups all united in making sure Israel genocide is not legitimised or sports washed. A coalition across Ireland campaigning to stop the Ireland versus Israel games in September and October. There must be accountability for Israeli crimes against humanity. Israel should face boycotting, divestment and sanctions. The very least we can do in Ireland is to ensure that the green jersey is not used to rehabilitate Israel at a time when the IDF are involved in genocide in Gaza and the forced annexation of the West Bank. I'm around long enough to remember and to have stood in support with the brave stance of Dunstor's workers in Henry Street in 1984 when union members decided to make the stance against apartheid in South Africa. The Dunstrike led to the Irish government introducing legislation to officially boycott apartheid South Africa contributing to the further international isolation and eventually the downfall of apartheid in South Africa. It's a proud example of what we should be doing now in relation to Israel. Ireland should not play Israel in sports. Doing so legitimises genocide and gives cover to statute violations, apartheid and to war crimes. Attempts to move the football games behind closed doors or to a different country it's just cowardly and it has to be called out. The game should not go ahead whether in Dublin, Hungary or anywhere else. That is not the point. What we are witnessing is genocide in Gaza and the destruction of Palestine in real time. We know what's going on so no excuses, no change of venue, no games, just no way. Government must rise to the challenge and show real leadership. You cannot pass the book and leave it to sporting bodies and most definitely not to the players. Only last year you failed the kids in Palestine who couldn't visit here to play the games. The excuse at that time related to visas. There should be no excuses. Do the right thing. Be the leaders that you claim to be. Irish people have consistently stood shoulder to shoulder with Palestine. We've marched in our thousands in solidarity with Palestinian people. Government must respect the values of human rights, justice and international law. So stand up against genocide in Gaza. Stand up against Israeli apartheid and stop the games now.
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