Paul McAuliffe
Question:21. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on new illegal settlements on the West Bank; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38265/20]
View answerThursday, 26 November 2020
Questions (21, 29, 36)
Cian O'Callaghan
Question:29. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has raised concerns internationally regarding the recent expansion of Israeli illegal settlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38198/20]
View answer
Brendan Howlin
Question:36. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that EU diplomats present were called anti-Semites following the chasing away of the EU’s Head of Mission to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Mr. Sven Kühn Von Burgsdorff, from a Jerusalem neighbourhood, Givat Hamatos, the day after Israel issued tenders for 1,257 new homes in the area; the action the EU has taken on the matter to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37959/20]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 21, 29 and 36 together.
Ireland's position on settlement expansion is absolutely clear. Settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory is clearly illegal under international law.
On 16 October, I made a statement condemning a significant further settlement expansion of close to 5000 new housing units in the West Bank and in and around Jerusalem, including Givat Hamatos.
On 15 November, the Israeli authorities announced a decision to open a tender for construction of a new settlement of over 1,200 housing units in Givat Hamatos in occupied East Jerusalem. I outlined Ireland’s position on this in a statement on 17 November. I condemned the decision by Israeli authorities to open this tender which undermines the viability and territorial contiguity of a future Palestinian State and the possibility of a negotiated Two-State solution in line with the internationally agreed parameters with Jerusalem as the future capital of two states. It also erodes trust and confidence between the parties, which is critical for the resumption of meaningful negotiations.
Senior officials in my Department met the Israeli Ambassador on 17 November to underline Ireland’s serious concerns at the expansion of settlements in this strategically sensitive area between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
Ireland’s Representative in Ramallah visited the Givat Hamatos site on 16 November, along with a number of other EU and non-EU colleagues, including the EU Representative. I am aware that there were vocal but peaceful pro-settlement protests during their visit. The press conference after the visit was held at another location so that the press interviews could be fully audible.
The EU HRVP Mr. Borrell made a statements on this issue on 15 October and 15 November. On 18 November, following the UN Security Council briefing on the situation in the Middle East, the current and incoming EU members of the Council (Ireland, Belgium, Estonia, France and Germany), along with Norway as a fellow incoming member, delivered a joint media statement on the Middle East Peace Process in which we called on Israel to halt all settlement expansion and demolitions.
Ireland continues to call on the Israeli Government to reverse this decision and to halt all settlement construction. Our longstanding support for a Two-State solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains an integral aspect of our foreign policy, which I will continue to prioritise.