Ruairí Ó Murchú

Overall sentiment: -0.07
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I commend those on the Global Sumud flotilla. It is a deep shame that people still have to do that to highlight the absolute criminality, that has not been brought to book, of the Israeli regime. We have all been disgusted by the video of Ben-Gvir, who is obviously a thug, a genocidal criminal and an idiot. When most people commit crimes, they do not actually put them on video. This is a guy who has been accused of being a draft-dodger by brothers in arms and his defence was that he was not allowed in the IDF because of his views. That just tells you. He is only one element of Netanyahu's regime. What are we talking about? The death penalty for Palestinians; genocide in Gaza; ethnic cleansing in Lebanon, which many of our peacekeepers have seen; and the attempt to create enough settlements to destroy any chance of a Palestinian state. The Ministers said that this is not a time for words alone, so we need to see action. We all want to see consensus, we all want to see co-operation across Europe, but we need to see the occupied territories Bill passed, including goods and services. It is an absolute disgrace that the EU-Israel association agreement is still in operation. What interaction has the Minister had regarding ensuring that there will be delivery, even if only on the trade element?

Sentiment score: -0.08

When we talk about the Global Sumud Flotilla and what the Israelis are doing, what is it? It is kidnapping on international waters. This is absolutely illegal but they do not care. They do not care about anything and that is a fact. We always talk about apartheid South Africa and how it took many factors but one of the major ones was that they were taken to task, they were sanctioned and individual South Africans were made to feel like the pariahs of the world. That put pressure on their government and then they could not trade with anybody, so big business said it needed to get out of that circumstance. That is what brought them to the book, so that is why we need to see action, not words. On the EU-Israel Association Agreement and the trade element, what interaction has the Minister had from a point of view of ensuring even that can be delivered? The Minister has given a promise now of a couple of weeks in relation to the occupied territories Bill. We really need to see it. I get that it is not the be-all and the end-all but it is a decent first step and we will be followed by others because they are an absolute disgrace, they are genocidal maniacs and they have to be brought to book, and we have to do whatever we can.

Sentiment score: -0.07