Paul Murphy condemns Irish support for von der Leyen over Gaza

Thanks a lot, Chair. Minister, it's utterly shameful that after the rhetoric during the elections, after the raising of the Palestinian flag, after the criticism of Israel, that the Irish government is supporting Ursula von der Leyen for the European Commission President. It means that all of that was really for show for the Irish public, because you are willing to criticise, but then turn a blind eye to this woman who supports genocide, gave a green light to Israel's genocide on Palestine, and continues to implement policies which sees European taxpayers' money going to the hands of Israeli armaments corporations. and which makes life more difficult for Palestinians. It is shameful that the Irish government supports Ursula von der Leyen. It is shameful that the former Taoiseach went on the radio and attempted to play the green jersey card, putting pressure on Irish MEPs to vote in favour of this genocide air in the European Parliament, saying that, oh well, it would be better if they do, because then maybe Michael McGrath will get a better, more important job out of it. Either genocide and horror at what is happening in Palestine for months and months means something, or it is simply for show and for some small element of covering yourselves politically here. In the last week we have seen the horrific footage of the Israeli army tying hostages as literal human shields on the front of an Israeli army vehicle. You hear a lot about human shields, about Hamas supposedly using human shields by simply existing in Gaza, with Israel literally using Palestinian human shields on Israeli vehicles. You also have a campaign for months now of bombing South Lebanon, killing hundreds of people, nearly 100,000 people have been displaced from the border area in South Lebanon, and now the Israeli propaganda machine has been in full flow for the last couple of days to try and make a target out of Beirut's main airport. It is via the George Bush-esque claims that weapons are being stored in Beirut airport with no evidence in an attempt to manufacture consent for a future bombing of Lebanon's capital. Netanyahu, already months ago, promised to turn Beirut into Gaza, and is now sending Israeli troops north to the border, indicating that they may be preparing to begin an all-out war on Lebanon. There appears to be no red lines, certainly for the US, certainly for Ursula von der Leyen, but also no red lines for the government, who is not willing to withhold support from Ursula von der Leyen for her support for the genocide. I want to make a point about the European elections, a lot of talk about the centre holding utter nonsense, which attempts to ignore the reality of the rise of the far right. I mean, is it any wonder when the European bureaucracy, European powers, European Commission is supporting a far right regime in Israel, that you have the rise of the far right within the European Union. Right across the European Union, far right forces now got 20% of the vote, the second most supported force in the European elections, going from, at the turn of the century, barely being able to form a group in the European Parliament, to now having the second most number of MEPs divided between three different groups at this stage. Becoming the first force in Italy, France, Hungary, Belgium, Austria and Poland, and the second force in Germany and the Netherlands. It should send alarm bells to all those who defend democratic rights, who defend workers' rights, because that is what the far right are coming for. But let's be clear, the centre right are no opposition to the far right. I went to a meeting yesterday with an activist from the MPA in France, and she used the phrase that Macron has rolled out the red carpet for the far right, and that has happened right across Europe. Policies of austerity, policies of not protecting people from the cost of living crisis, policies of attacking workers, attacking pensions, and so on. And then the centering of migration, as if this is the problem, has opened the door to the far right. A perfect example is the EU migration pact, which is going to see more people killed. Over 3,100 people died in the Mediterranean last year. More will die as a result of this pact, raising the borders even higher, to no benefit of any ordinary person in Europe, regardless of their skin colour. And now, what is happening after the European elections, is the doors being opened even further to the far right, trying to differentiate between the good far right, which support NATO and the European project, and the bad far right, which oppose NATO. Particularly that is von der Leyen looking for the support of Georgia Maloney, scandalously seeking to slow down an official EU report criticising Italy for eroding media freedoms. Willing to turn a blind eye to what is happening in Italy with the erosion of media freedoms, because she wants Maloney's support to become European Commission President again, just like she has Irish government support. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.