Members' Statements – in the Northern Ireland Assembly am 10:30 am ar 14 Mai 2024.
Amárach beidh Palaistínigh ar fud an domhain ag comóradh an Nakba. Is é Nakba an focal Araibise ar thubaiste. Is é an téarma a úsáideann na Palaistínigh le cur síos ar an ghlanadh eitneach óna dtír féin in 1948, nuair a cuireadh níos mó ná 750,000 Palaistíneach as a dteach féin. Maraíodh níos mó ná 15,000 Palaistíneach ag an am sin.
Is é nakba an téarma a úsáideann siad fosta le cur síos ar an díláithriú agus ar an ghéarleanúint atá ag dul ar aghaidh i gcónaí. Cé gur éirigh leis na Síónaigh an aisling s’acu tír dhúchais Ghiúdach a bhunú sa Phalaistín in 1948, lean an glanadh eitneach agus an díláithriú ar aghaidh.
Le linn an chogaidh Arabaigh-Iosraelaigh in 1967, ghabh na hIosraelaigh seilbh ar a bhí fágtha de chríocha na bPalaistíneach: Iarúsailéim Thoir, an Bruach Thiar agus Gaza. Tá seilbh acu ar na críocha úd go fóill. Is é sin an fáth a dtugar na "críocha faoi fhorghabháil" orthu. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil na hIosraelaigh ag leanúint ar aghaigh ag tógáil lonnaíochtaí neamhdhleathacha ar thalamh a ghoid siad ó na Palaistínigh.
Le bliain anuas, tá breis agus 400 Palaistíneach maraithe ag na hIosraelaigh sa Bhuach Thiar. Mar sin de, nuair a chluinim sna meáin nár thosaigh an marú go dtí an 7 Deireadh Fómhair anuraidh, tá a fhios agam nach bhfuil ann ach bréag agus bolscaireacht. Anois tá níos mó ná 35,000 marú in Gaza, an chuid is mó acu páistí agus mná. Ach ina measc chomh maith, tá dochtúirí, iriseoirí agus oibrithe cabhrach. Tá otharlanna, scoileanna, ollscoileanna, eaglaisí agus moscanna scriosta ag na hIosraelaigh chomh maith. Is cuma le Netanyahu faoi bheatha na ndaoine in Gaza, gan trácht ar na hinstitiúidí a choinníonn daoine beo. Ach ní féidir leis na Palaistínigh uile a mharú. Níl sin ag dul a tharlú.
Má tá réiteach ag dul a bheith ann, tá gá le sos cogaidh láithreach. Caithfidh na hIosraelaigh cabhair daoin a ligean isteach go Gaza agus a shaighdiúirí a tharraingt amach go hiomlán. Caithfidh deireadh a theacht ar an fhorghabháil agus, ar deireadh thiar thall, caithfidh stát neamhspleách Palaistíneach a bheith ann.
[Translation: Tomorrow, Palestinians across the world will commemorate the Nakba. Nakba is the Arabic word for catastrophe. It is the term that Palestinians use to describe the ethnic cleansing of their country in 1948 when over 750,000 were driven from their homes. More than 15,000 Palestinians were killed at that time. Nakba is also the term that they use to describe the ongoing displacement and persecution. Even though the Zionists fulfilled their dream of establishing their own Jewish homeland in Palestine in 1948, the process of ethnic cleansing and displacement carried on. During the Arab-Israeli war in 1967, the Israelis occupied what was left of the Palestinian territories: East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. They still occupy those territories. That is why they are called the “occupied territories”. We know also that the Israelis are continuing to build illegal settlements on land stolen from the Palestinians. In the past year, the Israelis have killed more than 400 Palestinians in the West Bank. Therefore, when I hear in the media that the killing only began on 7 October last year, I know that that is just a lie and propaganda. Now there are more than 35,000 dead in Gaza, most of them children and women. However, also among the dead are doctors, journalists and aid workers. Hospitals, schools, universities, churches and mosques have been destroyed. Netanyahu cares nothing about the lives of the people in Gaza, much less the institutions that sustain life. However, he cannot kill every Palestinian. That is not going to happen. For a resolution to happen there must be an immediate ceasefire. The Israelis must allow humanitarian aid in and completely withdraw all their military. The occupation must end, and, at the end of the day, there must be an independent, Palestinian state.]