Wexford Labour TD George Lawlor has issued a searing condemnation of the Israeli government's actions in Gaza, branding them as genocide and calling for urgent international intervention.
Speaking passionately in the Dáil, Deputy Lawlor accused the international community — including Ireland — of turning a blind eye to atrocities being carried out in full view of the world. "Palestine, perpetrated by an Israeli government hell-bent on wiping out an entire people, is something which we, as part of an international community, should be hanging our heads in shame about," Lawlor declared. Citing the devastating human toll of Israel's military campaign, Lawlor said the violence amounts to a deliberate attempt to destroy a people, invoking the legal definition of genocide: "The term genocide is not used lightly. It signifies the intentional destruction of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. The actions of the Israeli government against the Palestinian people fit this definition disturbingly well." Lawlor said more than 50,000 innocent civilians, including “babies, children, women and men”, have been slaughtered while global powers offer only “fine words” and "tepid" condemnations. "The entire international community is standing idly by and muttering fine words whilst thousands of innocent lives are being wiped out by evil. This is a modern-day extermination of a people happening in full view, and we are complicit by our silence." The Wexford TD pointed to Ireland's own painful history — the famine, 800 years of oppression under British rule — and said it should stir the Irish conscience into action. "As a nation and a people, we remember our own famine. We remember the oppression we suffered. We know what imperialism looks like — and yet we are complicit among our European brethren in the slaughter of innocents by our inaction." Describing the Israeli government as a "fascist, right-wing monster", Lawlor said the international response has failed to meet the scale of the humanitarian crisis. "The world watches as homes are demolished and families are torn apart, yet the international response remains tepid at best. The silence — this silence — is complicity." Lawlor said that Ireland, given its historical experience with colonialism and its global reputation for standing with the oppressed, has a special responsibility to act. "The Irish people’s experience with British rule positions us uniquely to empathise with the plight of the Palestinians. Words of sympathy are no longer sufficient — we now need action." He outlined the Labour Party’s motion in the Dáil, calling on the Irish government to spearhead international efforts by seeking an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly. The motion urges Ireland to table a resolution that: Highlights the failure of the UN Security Council to act, Calls for a lasting ceasefire, Advocates for the creation of an international peacekeeping force for Gaza, Ensures the safe delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people. "This motion asks that the Irish government not only condemn but act — to push for collective international measures that can end the suffering in Gaza and allow for sustainable peace." Lawlor closed his speech with a warning to history: "Let us not be remembered as bystanders in this critical moment. The future of Palestine and its people depends on the actions we take today and every day." Listen back here: [audio mp3="https://www.southeastradio.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/George-RAW.mp3"][/audio]
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