Paul Murphy challenges Taoiseach on arms exports to Israel
Paul Murphy directly challenged the Taoiseach over arms exports to Israel and pressed for a halt to all weapons shipments, accusing Israel of committing mass atrocities. He also criticised the government's handling of the Occupied Territories Bill and its timing for review.
Question on arms exports to Israel
Murphy asked whether the Taoiseach had raised with Keir Starmer the need to stop arms exports to Israel, noting Britain as a major supplier and criticising the British Foreign Secretary's suspension of only 30 licences out of 350. He said Israel had gone "many, many light years past any point of defending itself" and alleged mass killings, listing atrocities and calling the campaign a "holocaust."
Response from the Taoiseach
The Taoiseach replied that he raises the issue of weapons with all leaders he meets, including the President of the United States and the British Prime Minister, and argued every lever must be used to secure a ceasefire - in some cases that involves weapons. He denied avoiding meetings, said international efforts to bring about a ceasefire have been "utterly ineffective," and told the House that only a minority of EU member states favour reviewing the association agreement.
Occupied Territories Bill review
Murphy criticised what he called post‑dated commitments as the government announced a review of the Occupied Territories Bill. The Taoiseach said the government had reconsidered the bill in light of the International Court of Justice advisory opinion, had sought fresh Attorney General advice, and that the minister for foreign affairs would speak to the bill's sponsor as the review commences.
Government's assertion of support for Palestine
The Taoiseach maintained the government's words are not empty, saying Ireland has engaged with the Palestinian President, the Palestinian Authority, UNRWA and the United Nations, and that the government is acting to support the people of Palestine. Murphy remained sceptical about the timing and the prospect of implementation only after the election.
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Thanks. Relatedly, Taoiseach, I want to ask if you raised with Keir Starmer the need to stop arms exports to Israel. Obviously, Britain is a major arms supplier to Israel. Five days before your meeting, the British Foreign Secretary, David Lamy, announced a suspension of only 30 export licenses out of 350 to Israel, and he was at pains to emphasize that this was not an arms embargo. that the point, quote, was in no way to punish Israel, and he claimed that Israel must have a so-called right to defend itself. And the vast majority of people in this country would certainly agree that Israel has gone many, many light years past any point of defending itself. It is massacring tens of thousands of innocent people across Gaza, now invading Lebanon. It is shooting children in the head. It is stripping people naked. It is lining them up. It is throwing them into mass graves. It is using chemical weapons against UN peacekeepers. It is burning people alive. It is carrying out a holocaust. So Taoiseach, did you ask Keir Starmer to stop all arms exports to the genocidal Israeli state, or did you back out of raising it like you did with President Biden? I thought that Deputy Barry had an appropriate turn of phrase earlier when he spoke about the post-stated checks that are being written by this government. One of those post-stated checks relates to the Occupied Territories Bill, which has been before the House of the Arcturus for six years now. And we have a statement just out from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Taed inshda, saying that we are going to commence a review of the Occupied Territories Bill, giving people the hope that this may actually be implemented, but not until after the election. Do you really expect people to believe that? Deputy Barry and Deputy Debby Murphy, Deputy Barry, Deputyänd lepris American on the issue of Israel, on the issue of the actions of this government. Firstly, to be clear, when I meet everybody, publicly and privately, including the President of the United States of America, I raise the issue of weapons. I believe every country needs to use every lever at its disposal to bring about a ceasefire to stop the violence. In some cases in Ireland that doesn't involve weapons, in the case of the United States it does. So people are trying to, for whatever reason, suggest things that simply aren't true. You didn't want me to meet the President of the United States, you made that point as I set off from here to meet him, that's your prerogative. I believe it's extremely important that we do, and I believe it's extraordinarily important that we continue to engage with the British Prime Minister for a whole variety of reasons, not least the peace process and them being our nearest neighbours. I do think there's a sincerity from people in wanting to ceasefire, I think the actions of the world to bring it about have been utterly ineffective. I made a point not a million miles from Deputy Boyd Barrett's point at the European Council this week when I asked the question, what is the tipping point by which the European Union decides to take action on the association agreement? The reality is, I'm being very honest in this House, it is a minority view amongst member states that the association agreement on trade should be reviewed. I find that really deeply unsettling, quite frankly. Spain share our view, Slovenia share our view, a number of other countries may share the view, but certainly not a majority of countries. That is why we have looked at the Occupied Territories Bill in the light of the ICJ advisory opinion to see if there's a new context now. The International Court matters, what it says matters, and in the view of this government, it places an obligation on member states to act. It's not the same thing as saying the Occupied Territories Bill as it works, but we are willing now and wanting to, in light of the new Attorney General advice that I sought, engage, and as soon as today the Tónishto will be speaking to the sponsor of that bill. Our words aren't empty when it comes to support for Palestine. Ask the Palestinian President, ask the Palestinian Authority, ask UNRWA, ask the United Nations. This is a government that is acting in terms of trying to support the people of Palestine. Well all thanks! Well all thanks, Pamela for a keen созassion friends in esté Toy Zusammen. I JOIN U approval is heísaren and he 얼라고 to numb to sweat Soult aking. Don what you say today is a senator that has beenきて, he won't claim that he неверо 했습니다 and as soon as he eyoo!
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