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“Innocent children, they don’t know what’s going on, starving with the hunger ... This is reality, this is what’s happening in front of our eyes and we can see that on the news every morning, noon and night, and worse and worse it’s getting,” said Danny Healy-Rae.
Annihilation, as it happens.
“We are witnessing a genocide being live-streamed on our hand-held device,” said Labour’s Eoghan Kenny.
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The destruction is undeniable. We see it every day.
“One of the greatest crimes against humanity is playing out before our eyes in real time,” said Sinn Féin’s Mairéad Farrell.
Speaker after speaker, making the same point during three hours of Dáil statements on the unfolding catastrophe in Gaza.
How can this be happening when the obscene reality is there for all to see?
How can the Israeli government escalate its eradication crusade in Gaza while the big western powers hang back and look on?
In angry, heartfelt contributions, TDs held out little hope that this week’s harrowing scenes of children starving to death would deflect Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu from his remorseless campaign against the Palestinian people.
If the world’s increasingly flaky bulwarks of democracy won’t act, this doesn’t mean that Ireland cannot make a stand.
There was understandable consensus when it came to condemning Israel for its campaign of genocide in Gaza. Nobody quibbled with the use of the word.
The differences came in the interpretation of what has been done and what should be done to force Netanyahu to end the war. The Government pointed to the lead it has taken internationally when most of its EU partners have been dragging their heels.
The Opposition, while acknowledging the actions taken by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris, accused them of doing too little too late.
But given the sheer horror of what the suffering innocents are enduring in Gaza, the lengthy Dáil session didn’t descend into the usual political tit-for-tat. Apart, that is, from an unnecessary swipe at the Taoiseach early on from Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald, who talked about her party’s Bill to end the sale of Israeli war bonds through the Central Bank.
It’s an “obscenity” completely at odds with Ireland’s position on humanitarian standards and international law.
“And yet, when I raised this with the Taoiseach yesterday, his response was to call our legislation repulsive,” said Mary Lou. “That’s the word he used.”
Micheál Martin swiftly intervened to reject the assertion.
“What is truly repulsive is allowing the Irish Central Bank to oversee the sale of Israeli war bonds that are funding this genocide,” she replied.
Micheál wasn’t letting this go.
“The Deputy is misleading the House. That’s not right, now.”
Mary Lou moved on. If his Government is really sincere and serious about “ending the clear barbarism we watch every day in Gaza”, it will back their Bill.
Micheál repeated his objection.
“I said no such thing,” he said, in a quiet, level voice. Given the seriousness of the debate it was not good enough for her to “falsely make that assertion. I did not say that and you know I did not say that. I would ask you to withdraw it.”
The Leas-Cheann Comhairle turned to Mary Lou. Well?
“I cannot withdraw it because the record of this House will reflect the fact that the word that was used across the Chamber to me was the word “repulsive”.
Check back on it, persisted the Taoiseach.
“Because you said the Government was funding a genocide and I said that phrase was morally repugnant. At no stage did I say the tabling of legislation in respect of the Central Bank was repulsive,” he said, addressing Mary Lou slowly, asking her again to withdraw her words.
“You know that. Why did you conflate the two to make a false statement?”
She turned to the chair.
“Sorry. Why is the Taoiseach using our speaking time with this nonsense?”
Micheál wanted that withdrawal.
“I am not withdrawing it,” insisted the Sinn Féin leader.
“It was a smear, it was a smear against me.”
“I am not withdrawing a remark that you made.”
The Leas-Cheann Comhairle moved on. “We’ll leave it at that.”
“No sincerity,” murmured the Taoiseach.
So, what happened the previous day?
During Questions on Policy or Legislation, Mary Lou spoke about the slaughter in Gaza and her party’s forthcoming legislation about Israeli war bonds.
“What people might not know is that the Irish Government has made Ireland complicit in funding this genocide,” because the Central Bank oversees the sale of these bonds which are directly used to fund Israel’s war against Hamas.
“Taoiseach, work with us. Ireland cannot be complicit any longer in genocide.”
[ Air strikes kill dozens in Gaza as international criticism of Israel grows ]
He said what is happening to innocent civilians in Gaza “is beyond any moral compass” and it was “very regrettable” that she would say the Irish Government is funding genocide.
“I can’t really comprehend why you say things like that. I would argue you do it for politics but it smacks of that only. It lacks sincerity ... But I think it’s fundamentally wrong of you actually to take the tack that you’re taking.
“I find it morally repulsive as well.”
Mary Lou was right in one thing – he did use the word “repulsive”. But it was fairly clear that Micheál was angered by the suggestion his Government was facilitating genocide as opposed to Sinn Féin tabling a Bill.
But for the most part, this lengthy session was memorable for a strong show of unity from across the political spectrum against the reprehensible war crimes being perpetrated on defenceless babies in Gaza.
Yes, there were strong speeches from the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, but the depth of feeling from TDs of all stripes was compelling.
All of them, including Coalition TDs, called for more action from Ireland as they denounced the Israeli government – not the Israeli people. There were many passionate speeches.
Netanyahu “has shown himself to be a monstrous leader and his government a monstrous authority”, said the former ceann comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl.
Not only have they slaughtered women and children in Gaza, but they have done much damage to their own country.
“The State of Israel has a right to exist. I respect and love the Jewish people but I deplore, detest and reject Netanyahu and his people.”
Deputies condemned the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas for the unspeakable atrocities it committed on Jews in a raid on Israel two years ago which led to the war.
But, as Fine Gael TD Barry Ward said, their “barbaric and disgusting” action does not justify what is happening in Gaza now.
“It is murder, pure and simple,” said Independent TD Paul Gogarty, shouting the number “fourteen thousand” at the top of his voice.
That awful figure, repeated time and again in the House. The number of babies who may die from malnutrition by the weekend.
“It appears that things have got so horrific that even the EU may be waking up,” he said.
It was late in the afternoon, a good two hours into the statements, when Galway-based Independent Catherine Connolly rose to speak.
“I’ve attended many, many protests, as all my colleagues have done, and there was a time when I was most uncomfortable with the chant that Israel is a terrorist state ... I have no such reluctance now, and I’m ashamed that I wasn’t comfortable with that, because Israel is a terrorist state.
“It’s out of control. It’s a rogue state, and it’s got that far because it has done everything with immunity from the big powers that be, including Europe, America and many, many other countries,” she said.
But what she heard in the chamber was heartening.
“You know, the speeches that were made today by the backbenchers were wonderful. They were absolutely wonderful. I was near to tears with the passion,” she said. “I wish they had made those speeches earlier when we were appealing to you to stop Israel with getting away with impunity.
“And we’re here today, now, and we’re looking at 14,000 children about to die in the next 48 hours.”
Unimaginable.
“And words. What words will we now use? We have set the lowest bar for telling ourselves we’re very good.”
She talked of troops allowed through Shannon. Of increased trading. Of the failure to enact the Occupied Territories Bill. “And we learn now tomorrow, in the face of 14,000 children about to die, that a memo is going to go to Government.
“Shame comes to mind, embarrassment, but most of all, let’s act and show leadership.”
During her speech, she held up a printed statement.
“And we’re here today, and we’ve just learned that a delegation from 22 countries in the EU over looking at the refugee camp in West Bank has been shot at, and we’re told that the delegation deviated from the route. The only deviant here is Israel. They have deviated from international law.”
Then word came that two of those delegates – the State’s representative in Palestine Feilim McLaughlin and his deputy Sorcha Lowry – are Irish.
And the real time everyone was talking about came just that little bit closer.
