Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Defence John Brady TD, has reiterated his call for cross-party support for a Sinn Féin motion coming before the Dáil this evening on the annexation of Palestinian lands by the Israeli government.
 
The Wicklow TD said:
 
“Today we in the Dáil have the opportunity to provide a clarion voice for a principled foreign policy towards the conflict in the Middle East, that will be heard throughout the international community.
 
“Such is the import attached to what we have set out to achieve here today, that the United Nations Special Rapporteur for the situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territory Occupied since 1967, Michael Lynk, felt compelled to write to the Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney imploring the Irish government to act to recognise that de facto annexation has taken place.
 
“We have the potential to be the first country to categorically assert that Israel is guilty of the annexation of Palestinian lands. 
 
“Ireland has the potential to be a pathfinder for a principled and morally robust approach within the European Union and the UN Security Council.
 
“The issue we are addressing is one of international law. And by recognising that the crime of de facto annexation is taking place in the occupied Palestinian territories, we are baldly stating that Israel is acting illegally under international law.
 
“In taking this step Ireland is acknowledging the findings under international law, of the UN Security Council, of the UN General Assembly – that Israel is guilty of the crime of annexation.
 
“And that de facto annexation is just as much an international crime as de jure annexation.
 
“This is a first step, but a major step, towards bringing the weight of international law to bear on Israel in a meaningful manner, which will ultimately require the state of Israel to conform to its obligations as laid out by over 30 UN Security Council resolution, and several hundred UN General Assembly resolutions.
 
“The fact of the matter is that as a consequence of the failure of the international community to act in the manner that it did in situations such as the Russian annexation of Crimea in 20104, through the imposition of meaningful sanctions and countermeasures, to date Israel has avoided anything approaching the type of censure that would act as a deterrent to its illegal actions.
 
“In simple terms there is currently no practical consideration for Israel to abandon annexation other than the moral opprobrium of the international community for its activities towards the Palestinian people. We can change that.
 
“For over 30 years all attempts at developing peace initiatives have occurred outside of the framework of international law.
 
“This has allowed Israel to date, to obscure the fundamental issue of the law, and present their actions, in terms of facts on the ground, as something that can be negotiated.
 
“The law is the law, it is not negotiable, and Israel is clearly guilty of acting illegally in relation to the annexation of Palestinian lands.
 
“Ultimately the route to peace lies in a two-state solution, that recognises that the Palestinian people have a right to self-determination.
 
“The route to this solution will have to be found within the framework of international law and human rights.
 
“As Israel has shown that no weight of moral argument is sufficient to impact on its actions, it is critical that the international community be moved to intervene.
 
“I am asking all of the Parties in the Dáil to give their full backing to this motion, and let us begin the process of real change.”