Offaly FF and FG TDs 'on the wrong side of history' claims SF's Masterson
Tullamore councillor says the selling of Israeli war bonds being used to fund the 'atrocity of our times'
TULLAMORE based Sinn Féin councillor Aoife Masterson has claimed that local Dail Deputies, Tony McCormack (Fianna Fail) and John Clendennen (Fine Gael), are on the wrong side of history in their refusal to support Sinn Féin's Israeli War Bonds legislation.
She added 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.
Councillor Masterson said: “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.
“I listened to Simon Harris 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?
“History will show that Tony McCormack and John Clendennen are on the wrong side of history here, and I believe there is an onus on them to explain to the people of Offaly 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.
“Sinn Féin has provided a crystal clear way forward for Ireland to do the right thing; Pearse Doherty produced legislation that would end Ireland’s complicity in the sale of Israeli War Bonds and end Ireland’s complicity in Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people.
“Our legislation is underpinned by robust legal opinion but the government simply does not have the political will to work with us to make our legislation become law.
“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 Offaly 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 Tony McCormack and John Clendennen 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. Sinn Féin remains prepared to work with the government all through the night, all through the weekend, through the summer recess if need be, to pass legislation that would put an end to this shameful complicity.”