Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald TD has said, “the most appropriate way to mark the anniversary of October 7th is to intensify the push for immediate ceasefires in the Middle East. Achieving an end to the slaughter and a pathway to a just, lasting, peace must be the united will of the international community.”
Teachta McDonald called on Israel to end its “genocidal war on the Palestinian people”, condemned the escalation of this war on the people of Lebanon, and called for Ireland to take the lead in imposing sanctions on Israel.
Speaking on the anniversary of October 7th, Teachta McDonald said:
“The attacks perpetrated by Hamas one year ago today were horrific. The killing of civilians is to be condemned, wherever it occurs and no matter who the perpetrators are. The taking of civilians as hostages is equally heinous and I reiterate my call for those hostages to be immediately released and safely return home to their families.
“Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has used the horror of the October 7th attacks to justify twelve months of brutality, war crimes and genocide against the people of Gaza.
“The violation of the Palestinian people by Israel, the theft and illegal settlement of their lands, and the violent ethnic cleansing of their families and communities has been going on for seventy-six years now. Generations of Palestinians have lived their lives under occupation, oppression, and apartheid.
“Over the last year, we have seen the horrific crescendo of this apartheid inflicted with breathtaking cruelty, with blatant disregard for international law, and with an impunity that has seen ordinary people across the world take to the streets in protest week after week.
“The consequence of this impunity is clear for all to see. Israel’s war crimes have been broadcast to the world in real time. 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza killed, including nearly 17,000 children. Many thousands more injured and maimed. Hundreds of thousands of Gazans violently displaced, and now the spread of disease and famine. We have also seen the obliteration by Israel of Gaza civilian infrastructure, including the bombing of entire neighbourhoods, schools, hospitals, and refugee camps. These are war crimes.
“It should be clear to everyone that the horrors inflicted on the people of Gaza is the blueprint Israel will follow for its war on Lebanon. The men, women and children of Lebanon face a similar and horrifying fate. We are very proud of our peacekeepers serving with the UN. Their duty is to humanity, to peace, to protect innocent people from slaughter. Threats to their safety made by Israel are unacceptable.
“Israel acts with impunity because it has been given carte blanche by international leaders. Those with the power to stop Israel must act now and hold it to account. The European Union, the US and Britain must stop arming and funding Israel’s war machine.
“One year into its genocidal war, the international community must use sanctions to pressure Israel to end the onslaught and to call immediate ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon.
“The Irish government must use every diplomatic channel available to push for sanctions, particularly at EU level. The government must also take the lead at home by enacting the Occupied Territories Bill and the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill.
“Securing ceasefires, an end to the slaughter, and a pathway to a just and lasting peace, with a free Palestinian state at the core, must be the united will of the international community.”
