PRO-PALESTINE ACTIVISTS entered the Department of Foreign Affairs building today to call on the government to demand that the UN seeks a binding ceasefire in Gaza.

The ‘Dublin for Gaza’ group called on Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin to bring a Uniting for Peace resolution to the UN General Assembly to push for a ceasefire.

The protesters also want to see the Irish government prevent the transport of weapons through Shannon Airport. 

In a statement to The Journal, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said it “can confirm that a protest took place outside the Department’s offices this afternoon, during which a small number of protestors entered the public reception area”.

Spokesperson for Dublin for Gaza Rosie Leonard said: “US President Joe Biden is pledging military aid and weapons to the Israeli state – we call on the Minister to ensure that Ireland plays no part in transporting these weapons of destruction to Israel.”

“Across the world, we are seeing workers block military aid to Israel by refusing to handle weapons, refusing to unload weapons bound for Israel, and blocking warships headed to the Middle East. Now we must play our part,” Leonard said.

Fellow member Freda Hughes said that “kind words are all very well but now it’s time our government takes action”.

“There are over 40 Irish citizens trapped in Gaza, some of whom are in contact with us regularly,” Hughes said.

“They are deeply traumatised and that trauma is compounded daily. Unlike last week’s non-binding UN General Assembly vote for a humanitarian truce, which Israel chose to ignore, a United for Peace resolution is legally binding. The Department has already received hundreds of calls and emails requesting this and we ask the Minister to do so immediately.”

Yesterday, the government quashed a motion in the Dáil seeking to expel the Israeli ambassador and impose economic sanctions on Israel.

The Social Democrats had brought a motion to the Dáil this evening calling for the Government to bring economic sanctions against Israel, refer it to the International Criminal Court for investigation of alleged war crimes, and to withdraw the Israeli ambassador’s diplomatic status in Ireland.

However, Government TDs voted to replace the Social Democrats’ motion with one reasserting that the government will maintain diplomatic relations with the Israeli ambassador and “pursue all possible avenues at the EU and the UN to build an international alliance for peace”.