Vol. 379 No. 4
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the initiatives the Government have taken to mark the deep concern of the Irish people regarding the deaths of numerous Palestinians on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and the ill-treatment of Palestinians by the Israeli security forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
21.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if discussions have taken place at European level regarding the present conflict in the occupied territories on the West Bank and in Gaza; and if so, Ireland's contribution to the discussion.
22.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether he has taken steps to express the revulsion of the Irish people at the brutality being inflicted on the Palestinians in the occupied territories; the way in which this has been expressed bilaterally at EC and UN level, and if he will make a statement on the matter.
29.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has yet received a response from the Israeli authorities regarding the representations made directly or through the EC, regarding the treatment by Israeli security forces of Palestinian civilians; the Israeli response in view of the continuing activities by the Israeli security forces and the fact that the death toll has now reached more than 100, if the Government intend to take any further action on the matter; the reason the Irish delegation did not support a motion condemning the Israeli actions at the United Nations Committee on Human Rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 21, 22 and 29 together.
I have made clear in the Dáil and Seanad on a number of occasions since the outbreak of the present disturbances the Government's deep concern at events in the occupied territories and the importance which we attach to matters affecting the rights of the population of those territories. I have said that I share the widespread sense of outrage at the harsh methods of riot control employed by the Israeli security forces which are marked by excessive violence and acts of brutality against individuals. Our concern has been conveyed to the Israeli authorities in the course of a number of bilateral contacts in Dublin and Tel Aviv since the beginning of the present unrest.
In addition in the framework of European Political Co-operation the Twelve have conveyed to the Israeli authorities our shared concern for the population of the occupied territories. On two occasions since the outbreak of the present violence, on 18 December and again on 12 January the Presidency's Ambassador in Tel Aviv has expressed to the Israeli authorities the views of the Twelve at the rapidly and seriously deteriorating situation and urgently called on the Israeli authorites to ensure the immediate protection of the inhabitants of the area.
At a meeting in Bonn on 8 February the Foreign Ministers of the Twelve had a thorough discussion of the situation. The declaration which they adopted expressed their profound concern at conditions in the occupied territories and their conviction that the status quo in the territories was not sustainable. They deeply deplored the repressive measures taken by Israel which are in violation of international law and human rights and called for the cessation of such measures. A copy of the declaration has been deposited in the Dáil Library.
The response of the Israeli Government to these Démarches has been cast in terms of the security preoccupations of the State of Israel.
The position taken by Ireland on four resolutions dealing with human rights violations in the occupied territories which arose at this year's session of the UN Human Rights Commission was consistent with our long standing policy of concern for the human rights of the Palestinian population.
The texts of the four resolutions, copies of which I have placed in the Dáil Library, are complex and lengthy. They deal in considerable detail with the situation in the occupied territories. However, they also refer to and reaffirm a range of resolutions adopted by the UN and other international fora to which Ireland and other western members of the UN Human Rights Commission have not subscribed. The resolutions also endorse other positions to which we could not assent and they condemn Israeli practices in terms which we and other western delegations consider polemical to an unnecessary and unhelpful degree.
The Irish delegation therefore, in abstaining chose a course of action which reflected our deep concern for the human rights of the population of the occupied territories while, at the same time, marking our inability to assent to all of the elements set out in the resolutions. This was made clear in the explanation we made of our vote.
In taking this position, we went further in marking our concern for the human rights of Palestinians than did most other western delegations. Most of the western members of the 43 member Commission voted against the first of the four resolutions. The eight negative votes were cast by Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, UK, FRG, Norway and the US. We, for our part, decided to abstain as the most effective and appropriate way of representing Ireland's position. In this we were joined by Spain, Costa Rica and Japan. No western member of the Commission was among the 31 delegations voting in favour of the resolution. In the case of the second resolution, which deals with the applicability to the territories of the 1949 Geneva Convention on the treatment of civilian persons in time of war the US voted against and Ireland together with the remaining members of the western group of delegations abstained. A similar voting pattern applied to the third resolution which deals with violations of human rights in the Israeli occupied Syrian territory of the Golan Heights. In the case of the fourth resolution four negative votes were cast (UK, US, FRG and Norway) while eight others, including Ireland and the rest of the western members of the Commission, abstained.
Our approach to all four resolutions reflected accurately and effectively the widespread public concern at recent events and our long-standing position of sensitivity to and understanding for the Palestinian population of the territories. Moreover, our approach was guided by our belief that the only solution lies in the context of a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region which guarantees the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and all that that implies and which also guarantees the existence and security of the state of Israel.
In consultation with our partners in the Twelve, we are continuing to monitor closely developments in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem and will continue to avail ourselves of all appropriate opportunities to make clear to the Israeli authorities our concern for the population of the occupied territories.
