Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 January 2013
19. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the discussions he has held with the Israeli representation in Ireland and his EU counterparts regarding the Gaza conflict; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1572/13]
View answer32. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on whether Israel should fully implement the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access, to give the stagnant economy of Gaza an opportunity to revive itself, and to pave the way for the creation of a viable Palestinian State in the West Bank and Gaza by providing and allowing transport links between the West Bank and Gaza. [1660/13]
View answer35. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to any progress that has been made with regard to opening the crossings and facilitating the movement of people and transfer of goods in and out of Gaza as provided for in the cease-fire agreement of 21 November 2012; and if he has discussed the issue with the Israeli authorities and his colleagues in the EU. [1678/13]
View answer39. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he supports the right of Gaza's fishermen to fish twenty nautical miles out at sea, as provided for in the Oslo accords; and if he will raise the restriction to six nautical miles currently being imposed on them by the Israeli navy with the Israeli authorities. [1679/13]
View answer55. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if there was a discussion on Israel and Gaza at the November European Council meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53795/12]
View answer59. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his concerns regarding tensions in Israel and Palestine even though there is a peace agreement at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54063/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 32, 35, 39, 55 and 59 together.
The recent conflict in Gaza was, thankfully, comparatively brief, beginning on the evening of 14 November and ending in a renewed ceasefire on 21 November. The relatively speedy restoration of the ceasefire was due to the active intervention of the Egyptian Government in particular, with the support of others such as Turkey and Qatar, and the recognition by both parties that a further escalation would be both inevitable and damaging if the conflict continued.
I issued statements on behalf of the Government on 15 and 18 November. I discussed the situation in Gaza with my EU colleagues at the Foreign Affairs Council on 19 November, and the Council adopted Conclusions on the issue. My concerns were also conveyed directly to the Israeli authorities, through the Ambassador in Tel Aviv and the Israeli Ambassador in Dublin. I have reported previously to the House in more detail on these matters.
The ceasefire established on 21 November has so far held very well, despite some incidents. As I said in November, however, so long as the underlying problems of Gaza are not adequately addressed, any ceasefire will ultimately break down again. I therefore laid particular stress on the provisions in the ceasefire for further contacts between the parties, again through the mediation of Egypt, with a view to the reaching of longer-term agreements. The essence of these would be that the current blockade of Gaza would be significantly relaxed, allowing a return to more normal life and commercial activity while securing a more durable and lasting cessation of rocket attacks into Israel.
I am encouraged by some small but important steps which have been taken by Israel, in the context of these discussions, to relax some of the restrictions on Gaza. The three-mile fishing limit previously enforced has been doubled to six miles; some commercial supplying of construction aggregates has begun; and, perhaps most importantly, the restrictions on farmers accessing their land approaching the border fence have been significantly relaxed, with a reduction in the width of the buffer zone from 500 metres to 100 metres. Indications so far are that these relaxations are being largely followed through in practice.
These measures are comparatively small, and much more needs to be done. But they are a welcome beginning. It is important that they progress and that the contacts between the two sides continue, leading to better understanding. It is also essential that the ceasefire remains intact and that for instance militant groups do not use the greater access to farmland to mount attacks on the border fence and the soldiers manning it, as has been done in the past.
I have long argued at EU level and directly with the Israeli authorities, as did my predecessor Deputy Martin, that the blockade of Gaza as it has operated has been counterproductive. The collapse of Gaza’s economy, and displacement of traffic to smuggling tunnels, has only strengthened the control and the finances of the militants while increasing the latter’s appeal for unemployed youth. I will continue to urge the relaxation and ultimate ending of the blockade, while accepting that the prevention of weapons entering Gaza remains an essential objective.
Measures to address the situation on the ground in Gaza and to ease the blockade should ultimately include working for full implementation of the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access, as repeatedly called for by the EU and also by the UN Security Council in Resolution 1860. This should include full access by fishermen to the waters envisaged under Oslo, although bearing in mind that the security situation is significantly altered from the position when the Oslo Accords were agreed and that Gaza is not currently controlled by the Palestinian Authority which was set up under those Accords.
