During a Seanad debate on the interception of the Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla, I said: Like all Members of the House, I agree with the Minister’s expression of sympathy for those who have died. I support the Minister’s final remarks in which he called for an impartial, credible and transparent investigation that conforms to international standards...

I do not support him when he asks “Who now could possibly argue that preventing this cargo from reaching Gaza was so important?”. I suggest that anyone who thought it should reach Gaza was not thinking straight. I am told that for the last five years, Israel has been subjected to at least 10,000 bombs and rockets from Gaza. Did anyone really expect a democratic country like Israel to allow a flotilla of ships to come in and go straight to Gaza without any inspection? I do not think that was possible.

Does anyone believe these ships could be allowed to land in Gaza? Does anyone believe it was not acceptable to offer to accept the ships into an Israeli port, to examine them and to transport them into Gaza?

The situation in Gaza seems to be disastrous and terrible. The people are running short of food and the other things they need to live, but they do not seem to be running short of guns and bombs. Hamas seems to be able to get these goods into Gaza, but it is unable to get food into Gaza. It is quite reasonable and rational to point that out. I say that as someone who is horrified about what happened. I do not understand the force that was used.

People have criticised the use of force in international waters, but I am old enough to be reminded of an incident that occurred in 1962 when I was on my honeymoon. It is probable that no one else here is old enough to remember it. Russians with loaded ships were heading towards Cuba in international waters but President Kennedy told them not to go any further. He told them to stop, just as Israel told the flotilla not to go any further in international waters. Fortunately, Russia agreed at the time to turn back. The Americans said they would not allow the Russians to land in Cuba with whatever was on board their ships. I see a similarity between what happened then and what is happening now. Israel said the flotilla would not be able to land in Gaza. It asked those involved to land in Israel and to allow inspections to take place so that the goods could be taken into Gaza.

I disagree with what has happened. I believe the investigation that will take place into these horrific killings will be fair. Regardless of where it takes place — I assume it will take place at UN or EU level — I am sure it will be impartial. I hope the investigation will consider the possibility that the flotilla could be accused of coat-trailing, to use an old term. In other words, they may have been acting in the hope of causing a scandal and embarrassing Israel. I am no defender of Israel in this situation, but I believe it would be irrational and unacceptable to expect the Israelis to allow uninspected ships to go into Gaza after they have been bombed continuously and suffered many deaths over many years. I believe we need a balance. That is what I would like to have in this debate.

For a full record of the debate, please click here.