Patrick Costello
Question:35. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he will take to prevent the annexation of occupied Palestine by Israel. [18121/20]
View answerTuesday, 28 July 2020
Questions (35, 53)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:53. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the discussions he has had with his counterparts across Europe with regard to the plans of the Israeli state to annex parts of Palestine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18568/20]
View answerOral answers (13 contributions)
I was here earlier when we were discussing the issue of Israel-Palestine and the annexation. Following on from his comments, and in the light of the question, the Minister spoke about how we would have to negotiate, talk and convince. The reality, however, when it came to Russia and its breach of international law regarding Crimea, is that we acted. Why are we not acting here? There is a litany of breaches of international laws, which the Minister calls out and is very clear in his condemnation of those breaches. We cannot just keep negotiating, however. We need to act. The Minister would not accept negotiation as a response for a breach of domestic law, so why are we doing that for international law?
I will let the Minister answer and then Deputies Costello and Boyd Barrett will each have a minute to respond. I am stretching the time as far as I can.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 53 together.
As I stated earlier, the Middle East peace process is a priority issue for me and for the Government, and I will continue to make every possible effort to engage constructively on this issue, through contacts with the parties, with relevant third states, with our EU partners, and with the UN. I have paid four working visits to the region in the past three years and look forward to doing so again when circumstances permit.
I share the strong view of this House that annexation would be a completely unacceptable step, and I have been completely clear on this in public statements and in private contacts.
Annexation of territory could have significant consequences for neighbouring countries. The League of Arab States, and many of its members, has been very clear in spelling out its firm opposition to it. A step which would so clearly undermine prospects for a two-state solution could have a negative impact on stability more broadly, and this is not in anybody’s interests. A solution involving two states for two peoples, living side by side in peace, is the only outcome for Israelis and Palestinians that we will support.
I do not see annexation as an inevitable development. It has not happened yet and that is why Ireland has not been forced to take actions in response to annexation. I firmly believe it would be against the interests of Israelis as well as Palestinians, and this is borne out by the fact that there is considerable unease about this proposal within Israel itself and within the Israeli Government. I do not believe the time for dissuasion is past, and my officials and I will continue our efforts in this regard, working closely with our EU partners who share our strong opposition to annexation.
Nor will I confine my efforts to deterring annexation. The status quo – the occupation, the construction of settlements, the destruction and demolition of Palestinian property, the limits placed on the development of Palestinians’ potential – is an abnormal and completely unacceptable situation.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
I am very conscious of the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza, in particular, where the aspirations of young people are cruelly circumscribed by a blockade which has continued for far too long.
Let me reiterate my commitment to continue working to keep this issue high on the international agenda and to prioritise the Middle East peace process, among other issues, as we prepare to take up our seat on the UN Security Council in January 2021.
I am stretching the time to allow the two Deputies back in. The rest of the answer will be in the Official Report. We are over the time and I am sorry. The two Deputies have one minute each and I ask them to stick to that minute, please.
We can add to that list of breaches of international law the destruction and demolition of EU-funded aid structures, something which the Minister has spoken out against before. The risk is that if we say that annexation should not happen, then we start to ignore all these other things and that is a real risk. The Israeli Government, when making its choices, will look at what happened to it the last time it breached international law and it has been able to act with impunity. The best way we can prevent annexation is to uphold and give teeth to international law and to act, as we did with Russia, instead of just talking.
I ask, therefore, in the Minister's letter to the EU, along with other foreign ministers seeking legal actions that we can take, that we should also implement all the current responses to existing breaches of international law, and not just use them as a stick regarding annexation.
I must state that Deputy Costello is in the wrong Government if he is looking for legal action on Israel's flouting of human rights, international law or a Government that is going to fight in any serious way for justice for the oppressed Palestinian people, because the Government has stated that it will not pass Senator Black's Control of Economic Activities (Occupied Territories) Bill which would impose some sanctions.
I do not understand why the Government will not do that, or step up and insist that the EU ends the Euro-Mediterranean trade agreement which gives preferential trade status to Israel or recognise a Palestinian state. Before the Minister states it is not possible for us to take unilateral action because we are part of the EU, it is worth stating that we have learned something else from the Covid-19 crisis, and that is that states within the European Union are able to take unilateral action on travel restrictions which are not uniform across Europe. If we can do that during the emergency of Covid-19, why can Ireland not do that regarding the emergency of the annexation of Palestinian land?
We have run out of time, I am afraid. The Minister can make a quick comment.
Since the others were given time, I am going to take a little bit of time.
I gave them a minute because they were grouped together.
That is fine, but when the questions are grouped together, I should also get a little more time to respond.
I am giving the Minister a minute.
I will be quick. Deputy Costello is in a Government that cares about this issue, that has spent an extraordinary amount of time ensuring that Ireland has some influence over key decision-makers in respect of the Middle East peace process and that will continue to prioritise this issue, as we have done in the programme for Government. That is clear.
Deputy Boyd Barrett, as usual, is calling for things that are more about protest than real change. I am not in the business of making decisions as a Government Minister that are directly contrary to the legal advice the Government has, and the Deputy knows very well that is the position regarding the Control of Economic Activities (Occupied Territories) Bill.
I thank the Minister for his brevity.
Written Answers are published on the Oireachtas website.