Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Defence, John Brady TD, met this week in Leinster House with representatives of the Division for Palestinian rights, of the Department for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs of the UN Secretariat in New York.

The UN representatives were also accompanied by a delegation of high-ranking Palestinian officials.

The visiting delegation included Ambassador Cheikh Niang, Permanent Representative of Senegal to the UN and Chair of the Palestinian Rights Committee, Ambassador Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the UN  and Observer to the Committee Bureau, Ambassador Ammar Hijazi, Assistant Minister for Multilateral Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Palestine, Ambassador Omar Awadallah, Director of United Nations and International Organizations Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Palestine Mr. Elio Tamburi, Director, Division for Palestinian Rights, Department of Peacebuilding and Political Affairs, and Ambassador Jilan Wahba, Ambassador of the State of Palestine  to Ireland. 

Teachta Brady said:

“It was an honour and a privilege to meet with such a high powered and distinguished delegation on behalf of Sinn Féin. Those present expressed disappointment at the lack of real and practical actions that have been taken against Israel despite the overwhelming weight of evidence that has been presented detailing breaches of international law, including human rights abuse, the seizure of Palestinian lands, and the effective practice of a policy of apartheid by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people. 

“While 139 countries across the world have recognised the state of Palestinian. This has not happened in Europe. Indeed, the continuing failure of an Irish government to recognise the state of Palestine, despite the Dáil voting to do so, stands in direct contrast to the attitudes and support of the Irish people for the Palestinian cause. I again want to use this opportunity to call on the Irish government to give full recognition to the state of Palestine.

“Chairperson Niang spoke passionately of the impact that apartheid was having on the Palestinian people. He also addressed the failure of the international community to address this issue. The reality is that time and time again, report after report have detailed not only a record of human rights abuses, but a clear government policy of discrimination against Palestinians which amounts to apartheid.

“The time has come for action. The Irish government needs to step up its efforts both on the UN Security Council, and at the EU, to force the international community to act to protect the Palestinian people. We need to see the introduction of the Occupied Territories Bill here in Ireland, and the government need to formally recognise the state of Palestine.”