*Donna McGettigan TD (SF). Photograph: Eamon Ward
CLARE’s sole opposition TD has said the county’s other elected members of Dáil Éireann are on the wrong side of history in their refusal to support Sinn Féin’s Israeli War Bonds legislation.
Donna McGettigan TD (SF) has said Clare’s Fianna Fáil TDs and Fine Gael TD will not be remembered well for not going against their party at a national level.
She commented that the selling of Israeli War Bonds, facilitated through the Irish Central Bank, are being used to fund the atrocity of our times, and called on the government TDs to explain their failure to follow up their words with action, urging them to rethink and grow a backbone in the face of a genocide.
Deputy McGettigan stated, “The selling of Israeli War Bonds, facilitated through the Irish Central Bank, are being used to fund the atrocity of our times, Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people. Twice in the past fortnight, the government has had the opportunity to vote to put a stop to it right here, right now, but on both occasions chose not to, despite Fianna Fáil Councillors tabling a motion at Clare County Council to prevent the funding of Israeli war bonds
“I listened to Simon Harris this week say that other EU member states should ‘grow a backbone’ when it comes to taking action against the barbarity being carried out by Israel in Gaza. I have to ask why the government did not listen to the Tánaiste’s own advice. Why won’t they show some backbone? Why won’t they back Sinn Féin’s legislation to stop the sale of Israeli War Bonds,” she questioned.
According to the Shannon based Deputy, there is an onus on Timmy Dooley TD (FF), Cathal Crowe TD (FF) and Joe Cooney TD (FG) to offer an explanation. “History will show that Clare Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs are on the wrong side of history here, and I believe there is an onus on them to explain to the people of County Clare why they refused to follow their words up with action. Words are not enough. The Central Bank has made it clear that, in their view, what is needed here is either EU restrictive measures – such as what they have with Russia where Russian bonds cannot be sold – or, alternatively, national restrictive measures, which is exactly what Sinn Féin’s Israeli War Bonds legislation provides for.
Solutions have been put forward by Sinn Féin to end Ireland’s complicity in the sale of Israeli War Bonds and end its involvement in Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people, she flagged. “Sinn Féin remains committed to ensuring that this state has no hand, act or part in facilitating the sale of Israeli War Bonds – money that pays for the bullets and bombs massacring Palestinian men, women and children – and it is to their eternal shame that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil do not share that same commitment.
“Their refusal to act flies in the face of the people of Clare who, like so many across Ireland, have marched, protested, campaigned in their thousands and, with everything they have, stood up for the rights of Palestinians to live and live free. I am therefore calling on Clare Fianna Fail and Fine Gael TDs to work with us, to do the right thing and reverse this shameful government decision. It’s not too late to act, but we are running out of time”.
