Vol. 425 No. 7
59 Mr. Molloy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement about the actions of the Israeli Government in expelling 400 Palestinians from the occupied territories; and whether the Government will support sanctions as a means of forcing compliance with UN resolutions requiring the repatriation of the Palestinians.
65 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government has lodged any protest with the Israeli authorities regarding the attempts to expel more than 400 Palestinians who have now spent more than a month living in appalling conditions in no-man's land on the Israeli-Lebanese border; the measures, if any, he believes should be taken to secure the implementation of UN resolutions calling on Israel to allow the Palestinians to return to their homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
92 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the statement by the Danish Foreign Minister, Mr. Niels Helves Petersen, that the Israeli offer to allow the return of a quarter of the Palestinians deported in September, 1992, was a good step; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I will take Questions Nos. 59, 65 and 92 together.
On 18 December Ireland together with its partners in the European Community, condemned Israel's decision to deport more than 400 Palestinians to Lebanon. We urged the Israeli authorities to allow the deportees to return immediately.
Since then I have written to the Israeli Foreign Minister, Mr. Shimon Peres, making clear my great concern about the deportations; and I repeated my views to him at our bilateral meeting in Brussels on 1 February. I stressed that the deportations, which took place without prior recourse to the Israeli legal system and in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and Resolution 799 of the Security Council, are contrary to international law and humanitarian principles. Moreover, they have the political consequence of serving the interests of extremists who are seeking to destroy the Middle East peace process.
In the meantime the Israeli Government has decided to permit about 100 deportees to return and to reduce the deportation period for the others. This is a step in the right direction, but it is insufficient. We shall continue to press Israel, bilaterally and through the European Community, to comply in full with Security Council Resolution 799.
