I am deeply concerned by the recent negative developments in the occupied Palestinian territory and reiterate that the focus of all parties, including the international community, must be on urgent de-escalation and on the restoration of a genuine political horizon.
I welcome that the UN Security Council, following a request by the Palestinian Authority, expressed itself in clear terms on this issue in its Presidential Statement of 20 February, reiterating that “continuing Israeli settlement activities are dangerously imperilling the viability of the two-State solution based on the 1967 lines”.
In a joint statement following their trilateral meeting on 13 February, EU High Representative Borrell, the Saudi Foreign Minister and the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, condemned the decision by the Israeli Government to “legalise”, under Israeli law, nine settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank. I welcome that there was also agreement at this trilateral meeting on the urgent need to revive and safeguard the prospect of the two-State solution and on follow-up work with a view to developing proposals to mobilise members of the Arab League, the EU, and relevant international partners to coordinate efforts in this space.
As the Deputy is aware, Ireland also supported the request of the UN General Assembly to the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on issues arising from Israel’s continuing occupation of Palestinian territory and I welcome that these proceedings have now been formally launched.
Ireland is committed to funding civil society organisations and human rights defenders, including Palestinian civil society, through the Irish Aid programme. Ireland is a member of the West Bank Protection Consortium, which plays a leading role in supporting threatened communities in the occupied Palestinian territory and coordinating the provision of essential services to them, including material assistance and legal aid. Ireland’s membership of the Consortium underlines our commitment to reducing the vulnerability of Palestinian communities living in Area C of the West Bank. Civil society organisations and human rights defenders play a critical role in promoting international law, peace, human rights and democratic values.
