asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, if it is the view of the Irish Government, that Jerusalem should remain a united city; and if such a view was included in the briefing given to any Irish politician travelling to Israel.
Written Answers. - Status of Jerusalem.
52.
The view of the Irish Government is that the final status of Jerusalem remains to be decided as a component of a comprehensive negotiated settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Pending such a settlement, we reject unilateral actions from whatever side designed to change the status of Jerusalem. Ireland, therefore, supported General Assembly Resolutions 2253 and 2254 of 4 and 14 July 1967 which characterised all measures taken to alter the status of Jerusalem as legally invalid and called on Israel to cancel them and to refrain from such actions in future. Since then, Ireland has regarded east Jerusalem as occupied territory within the meaning of the Geneva Conventions. We have regarded Israeli actions in changing the physical or demographic character of east Jerusalem as illegal. We also support Security Council Resolution 478 which characterises as invalid the basic law enacted by Israel in July 1980, under which Jerusalem was proclaimed the eternal and indivisible capital of the State of Israel.
This position is conveyed to any Irish person seeking the views of the Government on this issue.