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Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence debate -
Thursday, 20 Sep 2018

Palestinian Refugees in the Near East and Demolition of Khan al-Ahmar: Discussion

Mr. Patrick Costello and his colleague Ms Lesley O'Connor from the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, EAPPI, are here to discuss the decision by the US Administration to withdraw funding from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, for Palestinian refugees in the near east and the decision by the Israeli Supreme Court to authorise the destruction of the village Khan al-Ahmar on the West Bank. The decision by the US authorities to cease funding to UNRWA poses a potential humanitarian crisis. The provision of basic education and health services, particularly in Gaza, is under threat because of this action. Not only will it cause misery for so many needy people, it also further threatens the already fragile security situation in the region. We have also heard today about the decision by the Israeli Supreme Court to allow the demolition of a Bedouin village, Khan al-Ahmar. The international community needs to stand up to its demolition and the forcible transfer of its inhabitants and make it known that it is not an acceptable action. I welcome Ms O'Connor and Mr. Costello. We look forward to hearing their opening statement.

I remind members, delegates and those in the Visitors Gallery to ensure their mobile phones are switched off completely for the duration of the meeting as they cause interference, even when left in silent mode, with the recording equipment in committee rooms.

Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against any person outside the Houses, or an official, either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the joint committee. If they are directed by the Chairman to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

I call Mr. Costello to make the opening statement.

Mr. Patrick Costello

Ms O'Connor will make the opening statement.

Ms Lesley O'Connor

This committee is familiar with the occupation of Palestine. Many members have been on the ground in Palestine and Israel, and some have also met our group while there. I wish to avoid details of the wider issues and to focus instead on two particular crises. The situation has been so bad for so long it can be numbing, and it can be difficult to see one emergency as standing out against the background of the ongoing slow-motion catastrophe. The reality is that two recent events do stand out and are existential threats for a future Palestinian state. They are two events that challenge us to live up to the commitments we have made to support peace and justice in the region. We want to present to the committee on the expected imminent demolition of Khan al-Ahmar and the recent cuts to UNRWA funding.

While the committee is familiar with our group, I want to quickly state for the record who we are and provide a short introduction to our programme. The EAPPI was founded in response to a call from the heads of churches in Jerusalem. Since 2002, over 1,500 international volunteers from 22 countries have served as ecumenical accompaniers, EAs. The work we do includes monitoring and reporting violations of international law, providing a protective presence, supporting the work of peace groups and undertaking public policy advocacy. We have the largest number of observers on the ground of any group in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and, as such, we are able to provide unique eyewitness testimonies. I am Lesley O’Connor. I was based in South Hebron Hills in 2017. I am accompanied by Patrick Costello, who was based in Bethlehem as an observer in late 2014.

Mr. Patrick Costello

I will take us through the two issues. Khan al-Ahmar is a village in the occupied West Bank, just east of Jerusalem. It is near two large Israeli settlements, Ma’ale Adumim and Kfar Adumim, and close to an Israeli industrial zone. The villagers living there are the descendants of Bedouins who had been living in the Negev but who were expelled from there by the Israeli Government in the 1950s. On 5 September last, Israel’s highest court upheld an order to demolish the entire village. This has been in the offing for some time and there have been many legal challenges. Unfortunately, this ruling means the village can be demolished and its residents forcibly transferred at any time from 12 September.

I am sure the committee is aware of the frequent demolition of Palestinian homes, schools and agricultural structures across the West Bank. Our observers have frequently witnessed either demolitions or their aftermath. Like those demolitions, the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar and the resulting forced transfer of its 200 residents, including nearly 100 children, will be a grave breach of the Geneva conventions and a war crime under the Rome Statute. However, as we said at the beginning, this is a new crisis and marks a turning point, in a way. The Tánaiste, Deputy Coveney, stated:

The communities are located in a particularly sensitive part of Area C in the West Bank, an area which is critical for the viability of a future Palestinian state. Any attempt to develop the land for illegal settlements is therefore a threat to the Two State solution.

Building settlements in this area would encircle East Jerusalem, cutting it off from the rest of Palestine. It would also, essentially, cut the West Bank in two, north and south, again threatening any future Palestinian state and making any contiguous Palestinian state impossible to build. Due to the sensitive nature of this area, much of the international community has spoken out frequently, calling on Israeli authorities not to demolish the village and stating there would be serious consequences. Our position if that if we are serious about peace and justice in the region, we cannot allow this demolition to happen or, at least, to happen without consequences. There was a joint statement by France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom on 10 September condemning the decision but it contained little on meaningful action. When it talked of consequences, it talked only of the negative consequences for the Bedouin community who would lose their homes. What is needed now is action.

Since I sent in the briefing which members may have seen, there has been a call from community leaders for a greater international presence. Many of our eyewitnesses and EAs are there and call for a constant, overnight international presence to provide that protective presence to the villagers. I want to read a quote from one of the EAs who is currently in the village. She said:

One woman told us that the perpetual uncertainty means we are just cooking, cleaning and eating, rather than making long-term plans or improvements to homes. In the approach to the wedding season the lack of such plans is really notable. Meanwhile the people are watched by drones. The schoolteachers reported a dramatic fall in school results. Mothers tell us their children wet the bed and jump every time a new vehicle arrives.

With regard to UNRWA funding, 95% of the residents of Khan al-Ahmar are already refugees from the Negev. Should the demolitions go ahead, they will end up relying on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which, thankfully, is known by the shorter moniker of UNRWA. As the committee is probably aware, the United States recently ended all funding to UNRWA, cuts which the organisation's Commissioner-General has described as an “existential threat”. In fact, since sending this presentation to the committee last week, further cuts have been announced by the American regime, including €25 million in cuts to Palestinian hospitals in East Jerusalem and €10 million in cuts to NGOs supporting peace building work on the ground. There has been a general de-funding of any work in the region to try to promote peace and justice and to try to alleviate the suffering that exists.

During my time in Bethlehem I was close to Aida refugee camp and spent a lot of time there. Aida is one of several refugee camps in the Bethlehem area and is home to approximately 3,150 refugees who live in dense, cramped and poor conditions, and where poverty and unemployment are high. It is right next to the separation barrier and a military base, and there are frequent clashes. When one walks around in the morning, the smell of tear gas and the lingering smell of "Skunk" water are never far away because the camp is regularly choked with tear gas or "Skunk" water. Against this difficult background, UNRWA provides education and psycho-social support for children in the camp, food support for families and health services. Access to education is a difficulty for Palestinian children at the best of times and is something that is worked on by EAPPI and UNICEF. To lose the funding for schools will have a huge impact. Alongside this, some 30,000 Palestinian doctors, nurses, teachers and other staff are employed by UNRWA but now face unemployment and, therefore, the prospect of poverty. In Gaza, the unemployment rate is close to 44% and this will increase further should UNRWA collapse.

The US cuts represent an attempt to undermine the international legal consensus on the protected status of Palestine refugees and, so, are ultimately an attempt to undermine international law. These cuts threaten what stability currently exists in the region. There is a growing sense of despair and nihilism among Palestinians that will only fuel the frustration and desperation they feel, and potentially feed into violence and extremism.

The UNRWA Commissioner-General stated in an open letter to Palestine refugees and UNRWA staff published on 1 September:

The responsibility for the protracted nature of the Palestine refugee-hood, the growing number of refugees and the growth in needs, lies squarely with the parties and in the international community’s lack of will or utter inability to bring about a negotiated and peaceful resolution of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The attempt to make UNRWA somehow responsible for perpetuating the crisis is disingenuous at best.

Ms Lesley O'Connor

The Government has frequently made encouraging declarations on Palestine and the need for peace in the region. However, little has changed. In the face of these threats, words are no longer enough. Therefore, we call on the Government to act. We respectfully request the committee to endorse the following recommendations and press the Government to commit to them: the immediate recognition of the state of Palestine as a simple, yet significant, step towards a two-state solution; pressing for compensation for the demolition of EU-funded aid structures by Israel and systematically demanding compensation every time a structure is demolished; provide increased Government funding directly to UNRWA and for peace-building work in the region; the Government to advocate at EU level for increased funding for UNRWA from the European Union; ending the arms trade with Israel and Government procurement from Israel and dual-use exports; pushing for a review of the Gaza reconstruction mechanism and ensuring we recognise Israel’s primary responsibility for closures. I know that many members have been to Palestine, but for those who have not, I respectfully request that they consider any opportunity to go and see the position for themselves.

I have had the opportunity to visit the area several times, most recently around this time last year. It is important to acknowledge the work EAAPI does in difficult circumstances and also the work of the Israeli NGOs, in particular, as they face even more difficult circumstances because of what they are trying to achieve in their country. The position is intolerable for the Bedouin community. Forcible transfer is illegal and, in the bigger picture, also immoral. It is also making a two-state solution impossible.

There has been very good diplomatic pressure from the various embassies in ensuring there are delays in court decisions. That diplomatic pressure has also worked in a number of other situations. It is up to the Government to act. Exactly as the delegates were saying, it is up to politicians and governments to be strong in their statements.

I have seen the Bedouin camps and we should not lose sight of the appalling conditions in which the occupants live. Forcible transfer is completely and utterly wrong and to be condemned. We have to look at the living conditions of the Bedouin who deserve better treatment across the board.

I had the opportunity to meet the Palestinian community in Damascus and observe the work of UNWRA on the ground and the opportunities it is giving to the Palestinian people. Some members of the group I was with had an opportunity to go into the camps in Beirut and the conditions in them were appalling. Conditions for Palestinians in Damascus were far superior. I have been to the Aida camp several times. There is great resilience and hope, as well as a great drive to get on with life that can also be seen in Ramallah and Nablus. It is important to highlight that, in spite of all the doom and gloom and negativity, the Palestinian people are amazing in the way they get on with what they have to do. The onus is on us to try to work at the political level to halt the demolitions. It all comes back to the need for a two-state solution, to which so much lip service is being paid. When I go there and see the continuing encroachment and settlement building, I ask how there could possibly be a two-state solution.

Ms Lesley O'Connor

I acknowledge what Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan said about the Bedouin community. What I am hearing from the ground is that their lives are limited. There is even a concern in Khan al-Ahmar about going to shepherd in other areas. They cannot wander off but have to stay put because of the threat. That is having a big impact.

Mr. Patrick Costello

Within the village there is a school which is referred to as the tyre school as the walls have been built with reused tyres. It provides an education, not just for children in the village but also for children from a lot of Bedouin communities in the wider area. If it is demolished, the lives of the Bedouin will be made even more difficult. I agree with Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan on these points. As she said, it is important to make strong statements on the issue. We are hearing a lot of strong statements, including from the Tánaiste. However, it is time for action. Our first ask is for recognition of the state of Palestine. The power to do this is entirely in the Tánaiste's wrist. He could do it tomorrow if he wanted to do so. We need to move beyond statements to action.

I agree with everything Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan said. The delegates will be aware that I visited Palestine in June with my colleague Deputy Billy Kelleher and a member of our research team. It was a hugely informative visit for me because it was my first time to visit it. I concur with everything the delegates have said. I agree wholeheartedly that all we are getting is lip service. In particular, the European Union is greatly remiss. I do not detect any real will anywhere in the European Union to deal with the issue. There was the pre-emptive move in the relocation of the American embassy. In the last couple of days I believe the PLO office in Washington has been closed or put on notice. Is that correct?

Mr. Patrick Costello

Yes.

We can see the trend and the drift. Having seen it, the West Bank is now so fragmented because of the continued proliferation of settlements that I cannot see how a two-state solution is to be achieved. Is it literally a pipe dream that will never be realised? I agree with everything the delegates are saying and believe we have to support the requests they have made. I also agree with what they are saying about the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Simon Coveney, who has made a lot of strong statements which now need to be acted on.

Deputy Seán Barrett took the Chair.

Mr. Patrick Costello

It is great to hear that Deputy Niall Collins went to Palestine. As Ms O'Connor said, being there can be eye-opening. I hope the Deputy will encourage others to go also.

Some commentators have said this is a challenge to the relevance of the European Union on the world stage. If it can talk but cannot follow through, what is the point of the European External Action Service? That problem is exemplified best when Israel demolishes schools and buildings that have been paid for by the European Union. The European Union should seek compensation each time this happens, as we have stated.

Ultimately, the EU is fragmented on this issue, so the focus can also be on what we can do. There are things that the Government can do without needing to wait for Europe. We would encourage it to do so while also fighting the good fight in Europe.

I call Deputy Bacik. I am sorry, but I meant Senator Bacik.

I thank the Acting Chairman for the promotion or demotion, whichever it might be. I also apologise for arriving late. I was at another function.

I thank the witnesses for their presentation. I am familiar with the work that the EAPPI does. Former students of mine and friends have been out with the EAPPI on different programmes. I commend it on its important work and for bearing witness to what is happening in Palestine. It was distressing to hear the witnesses' update and frustrating for all of us. For years, many of us have raised the issue of the illegality of Israeli settlements as well as the immoral and illegal nature of the demolition of properties and infrastructure in Palestine that, as stated, had been built with EU money. The EU and other international donors have to pay for their reconstruction.

I echo what others have said and support the requests made by the witnesses. Through the Acting Chairman, I ask that our committee write to the Tánaiste to express our support for those requests. The Oireachtas has called for recognition of the state of Palestine, so we may press that matter again. It is something that the Tánaiste should do without delay.

I wish to ask a specific question. The witnesses are correct about the relevance of the EU in this, but the EU is not a monolith. Is there any glimmer of hope that there may be some EU institution or mechanism through which we as a committee could press on the issue of compensation? That seems to be an area where a softer approach could be taken than would be the case with some of the other requests and, therefore, could be easier to bring about. What mechanism specifically is the EAPPI calling on to seek compensation? Is it looking to the European Court of Justice or the European Commission? How do we as an Oireachtas committee put pressure on whatever the relevant institution is? The European Parliament has spoken on this matter previously, but on what executive institution can we put pressure?

Mr. Patrick Costello

I assume that the European External Action Service, EEAS, would be the main driver. The European Parliament has been strong on this issue. The parliamentary delegation for Palestine visited Khan al-Ahmar in the past few days. Liaising with the delegation on putting pressure on the EEAS would be the most practical way to go about that.

I thank Mr. Costello. It was just to have something practical come out of this meeting that could achieve a result beyond simply putting pressure on the Tánaiste, which we have done previously. The committee is united on this matter.

Ms Lesley O'Connor

We can revert to the committee as it occurs. The request was regarding two schools, but it does not seem to have been followed up. We keep submitting parliamentary questions, but we are not getting any indication of it being followed up with vigour.

Mr. Patrick Costello

We can revert to the Senator in the coming days with further information on practical things to do.

That would be great. I thank the witnesses.

I thank the witnesses for their presentation. It is important to realise the valuable and courageous work on Palestine that the EAPPI carries out and the major difference that it is making by reporting and telling the world what is happening.

Sinn Féin is acutely aware of the urgent situation facing the residents of Khan al-Ahmar. It is clear that the destruction of the village and the forcible transfer of its population constitutes a war crime. Due to the village's strategic location, its destruction is also a major threat to a two-state solution. My colleague, Deputy Crowe, has repeatedly raised this issue with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. While the Minister has been outspoken on the issue, to date we have seen no action from Ireland or the EU to stop this war crime and major threat to the two-state solution.

I have been informed that Israel's Supreme Court judgment on the demolition did not order it, but merely permitted it. The decision, therefore, lies entirely with the Israeli Government. This underlines the importance of international pressure to affect the government's calculus at this moment.

What type of action is needed to ensure this war crime does not happen? If Israel proceeds to commit it, Ireland should push for the EU to suspend the EU-Israel association agreement. Would the EAPPI agree with that?

According to the EU's recently issued six-month report on Israeli demolitions, 26 EU-funded structures worth €60,900 have been destroyed or confiscated by Israel. To echo Senator Bacik's question, would the EAPPI support a demand for compensation? Such a demand should be forthcoming from the EU.

I have a number of other questions, but if the Acting Chairman prefers to take questions in rounds, I would be happy to wait and do whatever supports that.

I will move on to the issue of UNRWA funding. We are conscious of the 5 million Palestinian refugees that it supports. The USA's decision was disgraceful. The witnesses have outlined clearly how drastically the cuts will affect the communities with which they work. We support the EAPPI's call for Ireland and the EU to increase their funding to UNRWA. We will raise this issue with the Minister.

Does the EAPPI have volunteers working in Gaza? Israel's continuing illegal blockade of Gaza is another crime that must be punished by the international community, including Ireland. A report by the UN detailed exactly how living conditions in Gaza had significantly worsened in the ten years since the territory was blockaded by Israel. Due to the repeated military attacks on the densely populated strip of land, it is believed that Gaza will effectively be unlivable by 2020. It is incredible that the world continues to stand by and allow this to happen. Should Ireland do more to help Palestinians living in Gaza?

The witnesses will be well aware of Senator Black's occupied territories Bill and the call to recognise the state of Palestine. The EAPPI has been clear on that call and has supported it. Would the EAPPI support the Bill? We view it as an incredibly significant Bill, but it is important that the committee hear the EAPPI's position on same. The Palestinian President is visiting Ireland this weekend. Would it not be an opportune time for the Taoiseach to recognise the state of Palestine?

This week, 25 civil society organisations and coalitions, including Trócaire, wrote to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, ICC, asking to have an investigation opened into the situation in Palestine. The situation is rapidly deteriorating and war crimes and crimes against humanity are frequently being committed to entrench Israeli control over Palestinian territory and the Palestinian people, yet Israel continues to act with impunity. The ICC is the only viable independent judicial body capable of ending impunity for crimes committed in the occupied Palestinian territory and deterring the commission of future crimes. Sinn Féin supports this call and believes that the ICC must immediately open an investigation. Is this something that the EAPPI would also support?

Ms Lesley O'Connor

I thank the Senator. His questions were comprehensive, so he will excuse me if I just jump in.

Regarding the occupied territories Bill, the World Council of Churches, which runs the EAPPI programme internationally, has stated that it encourages and accompanies Palestinian people and communities, member churches and partners throughout the world in their efforts to resist occupation, including through economic measures such as divestment from companies that profit from the occupation or produce goods in illegal settlements in occupied territories. Such actions seek to advance the cause of peace and justice in Israel and Palestine through active non-violent means using criteria rooted in faith. Accordingly, we believe that passing a Bill like the one in question would be a good measure for our Government to take.

There is concern about the international presence, given this week's withdrawal of more funding for NGOs.

In Khan al-Ahmar a number of containers were installed in the past few weeks so internationals could come and be accommodated to be present as a protective presence. They have been confiscated already by the Israeli military. Only yesterday, our programme sought to put in an overnight protective presence to keep the presence of internationals. The local population sees this presence of internationals as vital and it looks as if that is now a concern.

Dr. Patrick Costello

There was a question on what concrete measures can be taken and our requests in the presentation are the key elements on which we would focus. We do not have volunteers in Gaza. We had tried that in the past but entry into Gaza is tightly controlled by the Israeli Government so it just has not been possible. We would love to get into Gaza and provide support there. A variety of non-governmental organisations, NGOs, do great work on the ground in Gaza and I can provide a link to those for the committee if members are interested. Unfortunately, despite wanting to get into Gaza, we cannot do it. Again, it is reflective of the occupation, control and siege of Gaza.

With regard to the International Criminal Court, international law is the main underpinning of our programme. We base ourselves, our reports, decisions and actions on international humanitarian law. The institutions of international law such as the International Criminal Court are central to that and they need to be supported and allowed to work. We have also seen attempts to attack and undermine these by Mr. John Bolton, as well as cuts to funding and the unilateral actions by the United States that were mentioned earlier. We fully support the ICC.

I will make one point before I finish relating to Ms O'Connor's contribution and the importance of visits. I visited Ramallah two years ago and one can see the daily reality of the oppression of the Palestinian people and apartheid in practice, along with its devastating consequences. It changes observers forever. I am thinking of Deputy Collins's comments about his visit. It is so important and the more people who can see first-hand what is happening in occupied Palestine, the more likely we are to move from words to action from our Government.

I thank the witnesses for their presentations. Any observer of what is happening in Palestine would probably be pretty depressed about and despairing of the position. It has been an annus horribilis for the Palestinian people, as it is every year. This year in particular has been absolutely horrendous, with 200 people having been murdered by the Israeli armed forces on the border in Gaza and the recognition of Jerusalem for the Israeli state. There is a toxic mix of Netanyahu, Trump and Bolton, out and out racists who want to humiliate the Palestinian people on a daily basis. I was there 20 years ago and I was struck by the artifice and out and out racism of Israel. One must go there to experience it and see it on a daily basis.

This comes down to appeasing racism and apartheid, and this is what the European Union does. As Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Simon Coveney, does not have the stomach for this. He pays lip service to a two-state solution and he kind of condemns the Israeli state but in reality he does not do anything. For example, the Bill from Senator Black makes sense, as it means an occupier cannot trade with partners. Although it is extremely limited, the Government will not support the Bill, and that action is absolutely gutless. In the past ten years, Ireland has imported dual-use arms worth more than €11 million from Israel for the Irish Army. If Israel is a state that is reckless and racist, why would we buy arms from it? There is daily humiliation of the Palestinian people.

There is hope and the boycott, divestment and sanctions, BDS, campaign has gained momentum over the past two or three years. It is the solidarity of others and such small things that will give the Palestinian people hope. The constant appeasement by the European Union and Ireland is adding fuel to the fire, propagating the idea that Israel is just a normal state in the Middle East. It is not a normal state. It is a racist and apartheid state, and once the EU and this country recognises that, things might change in the Middle East. I do not know if the witnesses wish to comment on the small things that add to the bigger argument. The Eurovision song contest will be in Jerusalem next year and this country should not send any artist to the competition. We should send a statement from Ireland to say we are boycotting this because of the continuing occupation of Palestine.

I apologise if the witnesses have commented on this already. Israel has favoured trade status with the European Union through the Euro-Mediterranean association agreements and witnesses may be aware there have been loud calls from those who support the plight of the Palestinians that the agreement should be suspended because of the systematic breaches of human rights and international law by Israel in terms of its treatment of Palestinians. That is whether it is the collective punishment of the siege, the recognition of Jerusalem or, as was highlighted with the Great March of Return, the denial of the right to return, which is a right afforded under international law. As the witnesses have highlighted, there is also the destruction of works funded by the European Union on Palestinian territory. Do the witnesses echo the call of all of those things and more? Large numbers of young people are held in administrative detention. We can go through an endless list that includes the demolition of Palestinian homes and the illegal annexation of Palestinian territory. At what point will Europe say that this is unacceptable and we will not continue giving Israel effective associate membership of the European Union? It is absolutely extraordinary. I am keen for the witnesses to comment on that.

I mentioned the Great March of Return and its significance. It was a tremendously brave, heroic and peaceful protest that tried to vindicate a right under international law that Israel would rather everybody forget. It likes to cast this as an intractable conflict between Jews and Arabs when it is not. What should we say about the right to return, as it is a line for me that should not be crossed? It is an international right and there is no solution for the Palestinians. I was just in Beirut visiting Palestinian refugee camps and I have been to the West Bank. The conditions for Palestinian refugees in Beirut are worse than they are in the occupied territories. They are horrendous and the idea that there is any solution that leaves them out in the cold and does not give them or millions of other Palestinians imprisoned in refugee camps outside Palestine a right to return is unacceptable. What do the witnesses think of that?

The Israeli siege of Gaza is shocking and obscene. As a result, humanitarian conditions in Gaza are beyond belief.

At the centre of justifying that siege has been the refusal of the Israelis and the European Union to recognise certain political forces that were democratically elected. What does Mr. Costello think of the effective boycott of certain Palestinian factions which have a democratic mandate in Gaza? Whatever we may think of those political forces should we not acknowledge their democratic mandate and call Israel out on that? It cannot justify this siege on the basis that it is trying to because, apart from the humanitarian horrors it is producing in Gaza, it flies in the face of democracy.

Dr. Patrick Costello

In respect of the Great March of Return the right of return of refugees is enshrined in international law. Our programme is built on international law and that right is a cornerstone of international law for refugees.

Deputy Brendan Smith resumed the Chair.

Dr. Patrick Costello

BADIL, which is a Palestinian group on the ground supporting refugees and their rights, is very clear that this is their legal right under international law. The only people who can choose to give that up are the refugees and it cannot be negotiated away by the Palestinian Authority or the Israeli Government. Given that our position is that international law should be paramount, we fully support the refugees' right of return because that is enshrined in international law.

In the context of Gaza, the behaviour of the Israeli Government in the siege is in breach of international law. The Gaza reconstruction mechanism set up after the most recent conflict in Gaza has shown itself to be ineffective and incompatible with international human rights law and obligations. International law is paramount and the siege should be ended. We should be looking for a peaceful resolution. That is the fundamental point. There is no justification for the way that people living in Gaza are treated.

In response to the question on the Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement, our focus has been on trade from the illegal settlements in occupied Palestine because they are what is illegal under international law. I am not sure that we have a formal policy on the agreement. I can follow up with the Deputy on that afterwards.

On behalf of the committee, I thank Ms O'Connor and Mr. Costello for their contributions and compliment them on their ongoing work.

The meeting stands adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, 4 October, when we will meet representatives from Dóchas regarding sustainable development goals. We will have an informal meeting on Tuesday next, 2 October.

The joint committee adjourned at 11.25 a.m. until 10 a.m. on Thursday, 4 October 2018.
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