Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Matt Carthy TD, has welcomed today’s vote at the United Nations General Assembly demanding that Israel end its illegal occupation of Palestine.

The Palestinian-drafted motion follows on from the decision of the International Court of Justice in July, which declared Israel’s occupation of the Gaza strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as unlawful.

Teachta Carthy said:

“Israel is currently engaged in a multi-pronged assault against the Palestinian people and the very notion of a Palestinian state.

“Though its most brutal face is the genocide in Gaza, increased violence from illegal settlers abetted by Israeli military forces in the West Bank also forms a part of this assault.

“So too does their refusal to grant visas to aid workers, while their unsubstantiated attacks on UNRWA, both physical and political, are intended to undermine Palestinian civil cohesion and diminish the status of the Palestinian refugees they support in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.

“It is welcome that today the United Nations General Assembly has demanded a total Israeli evacuation from Palestine. The Irish government and the international community should have no doubt that it will require sanctions to enforce this resolution.

“Only yesterday, Israel engaged in an indiscriminate terrorist attack in Lebanon killing at least nine people, including one 10-year old child, and injuring thousands – Israel’s current policy is one of escalation, not negotiation.

“The Irish government should immediately enact the Occupied Territories Bill and Sinn Féin’s Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill.

“The government should also suspend the issuance of dual-use export licences for products or services bound for Israel and refuse air clearance for all Israeli aircraft.

“They must also stand up to the EU’s failure to hold Israel accountable and they must insist on the speedy suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement. It is immoral that Israel continues to enjoy the most preferential economic and diplomatic relationships with European states, including Ireland, while it maintains its brutal assault on international law and the Palestinian people.”