Teachta Carthy calls out 'inaction of governments' against Israel

Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy called out the Irish government and international community’s "failure" to introduce "meaningful" sanctions against Israel.

His comments come as Israeli airstrikes and a ground incursion killed at least 10 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank yesterday. The Palestinian health ministry said nearly 40 more have been injured.

Teachta Carthy, who is also the Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, said that "it is the inaction of governments" that "consistently emboldens Israel to commit war crimes with impunity’.

“We have witnessed a genocide in Gaza, intensified Israeli violence against the West Bank and now a new Israeli assault upon the Jenin refugee camp," Teachta Carthy said.

He claimed that "Micheál Martin’s government has failed utterly to even secure a review of the EU Israel Association Agreement" and added they "seemed indifferent to illegal arms trafficking through Ireland in support of Israel's genocide."

He also claimed the government "now are effectively looking to weaken the Occupied Territories Bill by not committing to a full ban on trade in goods and services within the new Programme for Government.

"It is this failure to introduce any meaningful sanctions against Israel that emboldens Israel to commit war crimes with impunity," he stated.

“While millions of us around the world celebrated the ceasefire, the release of hostages held by Hamas and the Israeli government, and the chance for reprieve for the beleaguered people of Gaza, Israel has clearly decided that the Palestinian people of the West Bank must now endure inhumane barbarity," he continued.

“Sinn Féin will exert maximum pressure on the new government, including through bringing motions to the Dáil, in the coming weeks to force Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to finally act," he concluded.