Government and Opposition parties fail to agree wording of Dáil motion on Gaza

Protracted talks between the Government and Opposition parties to table an agreed joint motion in the Dáil on Wednesday responding to this month’s horrific violence in Israel and Gaza have ended in failure.

It is understood that the efforts foundered principally over differences in opinion over defining Israel’s role. Opposition politicians wanted to include a condemnation of the indiscriminate bombing of residential areas in Gaza by the Israeli Defence Forces. Some Opposition parties, including Labour, recognised Israel’s right to defend itself from attack, in line with international law but wanted the language to reflect outrage at the nature of Israel’s retaliation.

The three Government parties were not prepared to make any direct condemnation of Israel. However, the Coalition’s proposed motion stressed, without naming Israel, that there was a prohibition on the targeting of civilians, a need to be proportional, and the prohibition on collective punishment.

The proposed motion was circulated by the Government to Opposition leaders on Tuesday after the three Coalition leaders – Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste Micheál Martin, and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan – agreed to the wording of its motion on Monday evening.

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The Government position adopted in the motion reflected that of the European Union 27. Deirdre Gillane, the chef du Cabinet, for Mr Martin, who is Minister for Foreign Affairs, also spoke to party leaders or foreign affairs spokespeople with a view to finding a wording that would be agreeable to all.

Following the weekly meeting of her TDs and Senators early on Tuesday morning, Ms Bacik drafted amendments to the Government motion.

The amendments incorporated most of the Government motion including its strong condemnation of the Hamas attack on October 7th, which killed an estimated 1,400 people.

However, it added a key paragraph which proposed that the Dáil “unreservedly condemns the indiscriminate bombing of residential areas in Gaza by the Israeli Defence Forces; the collective punishment of civilians through the restriction of basic humanitarian supplies including food, water and electricity; the restrictions placed on entry and exit to Gaza; and the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians.”

The motion, which is being tabled by Mr Martin, also called for a “humanitarian pause” in the Israeli bombardment to allow humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza to be met.

The Bacik amendment instead called for an “an immediate ceasefire, with co-ordinated international action”.

The Labour amendment also added a paragraph condemning the actions of the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, for what it said was her “unqualified support” for Israel.

In another addition, the Labour wording also called for the immediate recognition by Ireland of the State of Palestine, the removal of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and the imposition of sanctions and proposals in line with those contained in the Occupied Territories Bill and the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill.

The motion and the amendments were drafted in advance of the explosion at the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, which has killed an estimated 500 people. Sources said the motion was a work in progress and the final wording would refer to the atrocity.

On Tuesday afternoon, Ms Bacik raised the motion with Mr Varadkar at the Order of Business in the Dáil and expressed a desire to arrive at an agreed text of a motion that would command support across all parties, both Government and Opposition.

Ms Bacik and Sinn Féin leader, Mary Lou McDonald, later spoke with the Taoiseach in the Dáil chamber as they waited for the outcome of the vote on the Order of Business. According to sources with knowledge of the conversations, both stressed the need for the motion to call for a ceasefire, for a condemnation of Israel, and a reference to the need for a united voice from the EU.

Senior Government figures also contacted Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns on Tuesday. The party said it condemns the tactics of the Israeli Government – cutting off water, food, electricity and food supplies – which constitute collective punishment of an innocent and helpless civilian population; and condemns the relentless bombing of residential buildings in Gaza, which constitutes war crimes.

The Government gave signals it might agree to the term “ceasefire” rather than “humanitarian pause”. In the wake of the Gazan hospital atrocity, the Taoiseach explicitly called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”. However, it could not agree to a condemnation of Israel being included in its motion.

“We were trying to get to a place where every position was accommodated,” said a source. “From the Government point of view it could not condemn Israel when it was also saying it had a right to defend itself. The view needed to be aligned also with that of the EU 27.”

The Government wording did include some strong language including a call on Israel to rescind its order for civilians in Gaza to move south of the Wadi Gaza line. It also reiterated “in the strongest terms” that this forced evacuation was causing a “humanitarian catastrophe”.

It is understood that Sinn Féin is likely to support the Labour amendment when the motion is voted on in the Dáil. People Before Profit is also preparing its own amendments to the motion, which is expected to take a very strong pro-Palestinian stance in response to the events.

It is likely there will be wide agreement in the Dáil on a key paragraph in both the Government motion, and the amendment, that states a “lasting peace can only be based on an enduring commitment to mutual recognition, freedom from violence, incitement, and terror, and the two-state solution; reaffirms the Government’s firm support for these principles; and calls on all members of Dáil Éireann to unambiguously commit to these principles.”

Government sources said it was always unlikely that the Government and Sinn Féin would reach common ground on the issue. One pointed out, however, that it was significant that the wording of the motion was agreed by all three Coalition partners, including the Greens.