Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 November 2018
76. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on recent events in Gaza; his plans to hold a Middle East peace meeting here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48353/18]
View answerWhat are the views of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade on the recent events in Gaza which are of major concern to us all? Will he elaborate on his plans to hold a Middle East peace meeting in Dublin which arose from his meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas?
The recent large-scale outbreak of attacks in both directions across the Gaza border has shown again how dangerous and easily combustible is the situation. There were hundreds of aerial attacks in each direction, causing the deaths of eight people. In addition, very large numbers of civilians on both sides had to spend hours in shelters. Hamas knows only too well the response that is likely to come from Israel when it fires hundreds of rockets into Israel. I have said over and over again that terrorism and violence will not achieve a lasting peace settlement between Israelis and Palestinians. In view of the potential for a further escalation, I was relieved an effective ceasefire was quickly re-established and commend all those who were instrumental in achieving it, notably Egypt. I hope it will allow progress to be made towards a more durable truce.
These events strongly reinforce what I have stressed in all of my discussions on Gaza, both in the region and at European Union and international level at the United Nations. So long as the position in Gaza is allowed to fester, the outbreaks of violence, each one threatening to be bigger and more destructive than the last, are likely to recur. The blockade is inhumane and should be ended. All parties need to consider and attempt ways to change the dynamic and break the cycle, including on the Palestinian side and in the context of reconciliation, to allow for the prospect of a Palestinian authority to govern Gaza in the future. Conscious as I am of the particular needs of Gaza, Ireland is advancing specific projects on educational scholarships and power infrastructure to contribute to humanitarian efforts there.
My intention to hold a small ministerial retreat-style meeting in Dublin relates to the overall Middle East conflict and peace process, rather than specifically to Gaza, although the two are, of course, interlinked. I have had a largely positive reaction to the idea from Ministers and others with whom I have discussed it and I am proceeding to see if such a meeting can be arranged for early in the new year.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
The intention is to hold a meeting away from the spotlight to allow for off-the-record reflection and the sharing of ideas. I do not wish to say much more about the event at this stage, pending consideration of an agenda with other potential participants.
It is fair to say the latest round of fighting and violence has been the most intense we have seen since 2014. The ceasefire to which the Tánaiste refers which was brokered by Egypt and Qatar is pretty uneasy. It comes against a backdrop of the Israeli Minister for Defence, Mr. Avigdor Lieberman, resigning from the Israeli Government and accusing the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, of capitulating to terror. It demonstrates how precarious is the position. In the past year alone we have seen protests along the Gaza border, the passing of the nation state law, the ongoing expansion of the illegal settlements, the United States moving its embassy from Tel Aviv, the cessation of funding for UNWRA, the closing of the Palestine Liberation Organization office in Washington DC and an increase in violence. All the time, this much vaunted peace initiative that we await just has not materialised or does not seem to be any nearer. There is no progress being made. I referred to the visit of Palestinian President Abbas to Ireland. I know that the Tánaiste was cut off because of time, but will he expand a little on the discussions he had with EU and Arab leaders on the holding of the peace meeting in Dublin?
The Deputy and I share similar frustrations about what has happened in the past 12 to 18 months in the Middle East. Like many others, I await a new peace initiative led by the United States and it will only have a chance of success if there are a number of countries involved in the negotiations that may follow and if the content of the initiative is fair to both sides. There must be equality of esteem between Israelis and Palestinians in the negotiations that we all hope can result in a lasting peace deal.
Time and again we have seen political decisions leading to reactions that have made the tensions between Israel and Palestinians more difficult, for example, the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the moving of the US embassy to Jerusalem, the cutting of funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in the Near East, UNRWA, and the closing of a Palestinian office in Washington. Ireland wants to introduce some new thinking and bring together a number of Arab Foreign Ministers and the Palestinian leadership, as well as several EU Foreign Ministers who are involved and interested in there at least being discussions. We hope to be able to do this in January in Dublin.
I have asked the Minister my next question previously, but we are under time pressure. What has been the feedback from the people to whom the Minister has spoken - Palestinian and Arab representatives and the Minister's colleagues across Europe - in trying to co-ordinate the meeting? Will he give us an insight into their reaction to the idea he has mooted? It is, of course, more than an idea. Is any effort being made at EU level to pursue the two-state solution? Is anything happening at EU level in that regard? Whoever we talk to has the feeling the situation is drifting in a state of abeyance.
I will happily brief the Deputy on the planned meeting which I hope will be held in January, but it would probably not be helpful for me to put all of the details into the public domain right now. What I can say is I have spoken to a number of Arab Foreign Ministers, including those of Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon, and the Arab League. I have also spoken to a number of EU Ministers, primarily the French Minister, but a number of others too. I have spoken to the US side. I have a good relationship with a person by the name of Jason Greenblatt who is involved in helping to put together a US initiative with Jared Kushner and others. Ireland is not trying to make a secret of this. We are an interested party that wants to be constructive and bring some new thinking to a situation that has seen so many negatives stacked up in the past 12 months, in particular. There is justification for greater EU involvement in a constructive way. I do not believe that, at the end of a meeting such as this, we will have any declaration or demand. Instead, we want to have a meeting at which people will be able to speak freely without the pressure of the media spotlight and talk about new approaches to get people around the negotiating table to try to create some positive momentum. I will happily brief the Deputy in more detail, if he likes.
