Name: ________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________
Dear Minister for Foreign Affairs,
As a constituent of Wicklow, I am writing to express my deep concern about the ongoing violence inflicted on the Palestinian people, the deliberate destruction of their cultural heritage, and the continued dispossession of their land. The recent ceasefire in Gaza has demonstrated itself to be the continued massacre and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people. Now more than ever, international pressure must be sustained to ensure accountability for war crimes and to lay the groundwork for lasting peace.
Ireland must sanction the crimes committed by Israel, as well as remain a vocal advocate for Palestinian self-determination. Alongside residents, families and business owners across Wicklow, I add my voice to our collective message: we call on you, as our representative elected to Government, to sanction Israel for committing the crime of genocide, and support the Palestinians in reclaiming sovereignty over their land. We call on you to stand proud as the leader of a small island country that has so often stood on the right side of history, and who has long spoken up in calling for an end to Israel’s occupation. These commitments must now be translated into concrete action.
In this spirit, I urge you to support the immediate enactment of the Occupied Territories Bill in full, including the extension of its provisions to trade in services, as recommended by the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence. I refer you to the first recommendation of their prelegislative scrutiny report, which notes that this bill should be passed “should be extended to include trade in services.” This legislation provides a clear and lawful path for Ireland to act in accordance with international law and the recent findings of the International Court of Justice. Encouraging Europe to join these efforts is a noble cause, which will prove immensely impactful when achieved. However, it requires nations to pave the way, as Spain has done, and Ireland will hopefully now resolve itself to.
I plead with you now to see that it was never meant to be enough to simply recognise the Palestinian state, and it was never meant to be enough to name what is happening as genocide. Recognition must come with action. If we truly recognise Palestine as a state, we must treat it as such and act accordingly: by applying sanctions and enforcing international law, as we did in the case of Russia and Ukraine. If we truly recognise this genocide, we must treat it accordingly: not symbolic gestures and endlessly stalling negotiations, but an urgent, concrete response.
Yours sincerely,
Signature: __________________________________________