Some 75,000 people have been murdered, 23,000 of whom were children. A total of 260 journalists and 565 footballers have been murdered. Both our Taoiseach and Tánaiste have said it is a genocide. Yet, it is business as usual for Israel. It gets to pretend that it is a normal state. It is far from normal, however. It is a murderous regime that is conducting a genocide. Yet, it still gets to access European trading markets and European funds. The Israeli football team will now get to represent its country in a stadium, with its flag flying and its national anthem being sung, and the Irish Government thinks it is okay to send our players out representing Ireland to play against it. We hear repeatedly that sport is above politics. That is one of the Government’s mantras when it comes to this issue. Sport was not above politics when the former Taoiseach, Garret FitzGerald, supported the boycott of apartheid and sporting organisations at that time. It was not above politics when the Government at the time removed the visas from the Yugoslavian players. It was not above politics when, during the previous Government, Ministers supported the boycott of Russia. Yet, all of a sudden, when it comes to Israel, sport is above politics. The Government cannot take or make a decision on it. It cannot have a statement or opinion on it. Where is the Government’s moral compass? That is what this comes down to. Where is its backbone, because previous Governments had courage when it came to this? Our motions asks for two things. First, we ask the Government to advocate at a national and international level for a boycott. Second, we ask that it supports sporting organisations. What is so difficult for this Government to do that? Why is it so difficult? I ask the Minister of State to lead.

Sentiment score: -0.08