Europe has worked as a peace project. We all know Europe was incredibly facilitatory and really useful in our own peace process. The solidarity we were shown during the lunacy of the Brexit process was a necessity. I assume it also shows the power of the Single Market, even when it came to those from Germany or France who wanted to sell into Britain. However, we cannot say there are not issues in relation to the European Union and how it is constituted at this point in time. We all understand that we are in a very changed geopolitical set-up from a couple of years ago but the European Union is meant to have credibility. It is meant to have credibility in the wider world, particularly when it talks about international law and the rights of supporting the Ukrainians in the context of the illegal invasion by Russia of Ukraine. I will take one headline from the RTÉ app, which reads: "Call for EU to deter Israel from building in West Bank". The article states: "Nearly 450 former EU ministers, ambassadors and senior officials have called on member states and EU institutions to take action deterring Israel from constructing a controversial Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank which, say critics, would separate East Jerusalem from the main Palestinian population centres." We all understand the genocide that was carried out in Gaza and a ceasefire that is not really a ceasefire. We have seen the attacks by Israel in Lebanon. We have seen how it has dragged the United States into absolute madness as regards the attacks on Iran. I am not entirely sure how they manipulated Donald Trump into it. Everybody out there who is paying huge fuel rates knows they are paying for that. The fact is that we have these sorts of actions by those who are ensconced within the European project at the same time we have member states, particularly Germany, selling arms to Israel and the continuity of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. It is sickening to anyone not only that trade with Israel remains, but the fact that they are giving such beneficial agreements to themselves. It is utterly wrong. I reiterate that we need to take the actions we can and that means implementing the occupied territories Bill for goods and services. It is fair enough to say that people would like to see the Irish Government put pressure on the FAI and that we would not see the Irish team playing Israel as it continues with its genocide, lunacy and madness. The European Union has to stand up for something more than it is.

Sentiment score: 0.03