Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 February 2007
32 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether an immediate freeze on West Bank settlements is necessary to build peace in Palestine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4361/07]
View answer38 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether increasing donor assistance, while welcome, is not the answer to the Palestinians' problems (details supplied). [4340/07]
View answer39 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether the decision by EU Ministers including himself to stop all direct assistance from the EU to the Palestinian Authority following the democratic election of Hamas resulted in increased poverty and hardship amongst Palestinians as concluded by the International Development Committee of the House of Commons in January 2007. [4339/07]
View answer68 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he directly or in concert with his colleagues in the EU and UN have been able to positively influence the situation in the Middle East; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4374/07]
View answer85 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the actions Ireland has taken in relation to the illegal demolition of dwellings in the villages around South Hebron and east Jerusalem; if he has raised this issue with the appropriate authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4312/07]
View answer198 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he will take, directly or through the EU or UN, with a view to positively affecting the situation in the Middle East; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4555/07]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 32, 38, 39, 68, 85 and 198 together.
The Government remains very actively engaged, directly with the parties, in cooperation with our EU partners and at the UN in the promotion of a negotiated two-State solution to the Israeli — Palestinian conflict. This must be at the heart of a comprehensive settlement to the interlinked problems of the Middle East. During my discussions with Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian and Lebanese political leaders last week, I found broad agreement on the need to revive a credible political process. I urged all parties to seize the opportunity offered by the renewed engagement of the international Quartet.
Since its victory in the Palestinian legislative elections one year ago, Hamas has refused to commit decisively to the peace process. The EU and the international community have suspended direct assistance to the Government of the Palestinian Authority as a result. However, it is important to note that the EU remains the largest donor to the Palestinian people and that the level of its assistance actually rose by some 30% last year, to €650 million. A significant proportion of this was channelled through the Temporary International Mechanism for direct assistance to the Palestinian people, which the EU took the lead in establishing in July last year. Ireland's assistance to the Palestinians increased by 40% in 2006, to €6.4 million. Our assistance will increase further in 2007 as a result of the decision, announced during my visit to Bethlehem, to increase funding to the United National Relief and Works Agency, for its services to Palestinian refugees.
However, no amount of humanitarian assistance will resolve the problems being experienced by the Palestinian people. Their root causes can only be addressed through political negotiations. The Government therefore strongly supports the continuing efforts of President Mahmoud Abbas to negotiate the formation of a Palestinian government of national unity, and to develop substantive negotiations with Israel for a viable two-State solution. The EU has made it clear that it looks forward to the formation of a government with a platform which reflects the conditions set out clearly by the Quartet last year.
Despite the deadlock in the process over the past year, the EU has continued to impress on all parties the need to act on their obligations under international law, and under the Quartet Roadmap. In this context, the EU has consistently called for an immediate freeze of Israeli settlement activity, an end to the construction of the separation barrier on occupied land and the ending of the practice of demolition of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. These, and other Israeli activities in and around East Jerusalem and in the Jordan Valley, are contrary to international law and threaten to undermine the viability of a two-State solution. I raised all of these issues very clearly in my discussions with Foreign Minister Livni in Jerusalem last week.
The Government has also monitored specific cases of demolitions in villages near Hebron and in East Jerusalem, and our concerns are actively raised with the Israeli authorities through the Embassy in Tel Aviv. We are continuing to monitor development in cooperation with our EU partners and with Palestinian, Israeli and Irish NGOs. We will continue to express our serious concerns on these and related issues directly in our contacts with the Israeli Government.
