Reprinted from Wallwritings
Irish Senator Averil Power speaking in the Senate in Dublin, October 22, 2014
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Irish Senator Averil Power (above) stood before the Senate of Ireland this week and offered a motion which calls for the Irish Government to:
"...formally recognize the State of Palestine and do everything it can at the international level to help secure a viable two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
The government parties agreed to the motion "without us actually having to push it to a vote," Power said.
Are you listening, U.S. leaders?
If you are listening, be aware, Ireland is way ahead of you in taking a stand for justice for Palestine.
The Times of Israel recalls that "Ireland was the first European country to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization."
Ireland joins Sweden and the British House of Commons to express support for Palestinian statehood. A similar motion is pending before the Spanish Congress.
In support of her motion, Senator Power told the Irish Senate:
"By joining Sweden and other EU states in recognizing Palestine, we will make it clear that statehood is a right of the Palestinian people. It is not an Israeli bargaining chip for them to play in their sham negotiations."
Senator Power, who is from the center-right Fianna Fail (Republican Party) added:
"In doing so we will create pressure on Israel to pursue a genuine peace process that has a real prospect of delivering peace and justice for both Israelis and Palestinians alike."
In her speech, Power accused Israel of having implemented an "apartheid regime in the West Bank that denied Palestinians basic human rights that their Israeli counterparts take for granted."
She added, "Without wider recognition of the State of Palestine, Palestinian representatives are in a weaker position at the negotiation table."
Are you listening, U.S. leaders?
In recent months, a few U.S. religious bodies have heard voices denouncing injustice. Two U.S. Christian bodies -- the Central Pacific Conference and the Connecticut Conference, both in the United Church of Christ -- have voted to endorse the BDS movement to apply economic pressure on Israel to "pursue a genuine peace process."
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