Pringle: Government must put pressure on Israel to stop the killing in Gaza

By Thomas Pringle
Updated: 20th November 2023

Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, said Government must, through its actions, put pressure on Israel to stop the killing in Gaza.

Addressing the Dáil on Tuesday evening, Deputy Pringle said: “There is no doubt that the ongoing ethnic cleansing taking place in Gaza needs to be continuously addressed in this House. Every evening we get more and more depressing and upsetting news on our TVs and it is bizarre that we are witnessing the slaughter live on television.

“It is even more shocking when we clearly look and see how the west is supporting and condoning the actions of the apartheid state of Israel. Some of them might be trying to get the Israelis to not be as aggressive but sadly that is all they are doing. They are not saying enough is enough.

“The Government is not saying that it needs to stop, and that the onus is on Israel as the occupying force to act in a way that protects human life and not murder women and children indiscriminately, because that is what they are at no matter what way some people would like to dress it up,” he said.

The deputy was speaking in support of the Sinn Féin motion re Escalation of Violence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory Since 7th October and also referenced today’s Social Democrats motion re Imposing Sanctions on Israel.

Deputy Pringle said: “I think it is worth mentioning again the litany of atrocities being carried out by Israel and the sad thing about this is by the time these words are said the numbers will have increased inexorably: 11,000 people have been killed, including more than 5,000 children, 89 United Nations workers and 39 journalists.

“I don’t believe that it is accidental that United Nations workers and journalists appear to have been targeted as well. Let us not forget that journalists are supposed to be protected under international law, but then we have seen that international law does not bother Israel or the EU, US or UK. I raised the killing of journalists in Gaza with the Taoiseach two weeks ago and he dismissed my concerns at that time and the numbers have doubled since.

“A Trócaire staff member who is in Gaza with her three young children said, ‘My home is now destroyed. We haven’t electricity, internet or water. Please do something for us. Put pressure on your government and the whole world to do something’. We need to put pressure on Israel through our actions, and on the rest of the world as well.

“We can do that by passing the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018 and the Illegal Settlements Divestment Bill 2023 in this House. Expel the Israeli Ambassador, given that Israel has not stopped killing journalists, UN workers or health care workers. Put pressure on the EU in relation to the EU-Israel Association Agreement to suspend it and the EU-Israel Horizon Europe Association Agreement as well. Refer Israel to the International Criminal Court and support what they are doing to hold Israel to account for the atrocities that they are continuing to carry out,” he said.

Deputy Pringle also referred to the situation in Israel for Palestinian citizens and Jews who oppose the war on Gaza, saying: “As Trócaire has pointed out, over 110 people have been arrested in Israel for speech-related offences and as human rights lawyer Michael Sfard has said, ‘There is a wave of silencing of any type of not only criticism, but also compassion’.

“That is what Israel would like everyone to do, silence our compassion for the Palestinian people. But thankfully the Irish people have shown over the last couple of weeks that they will not be silenced, through their compassion and support for oppressed people,” he said.