Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2023
15. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he made representations to President Herzog in respect of Palestinian children's access to education in Occupied Palestine on his recent visit to Israel. [39712/23]
View answerI met with President Isaac Herzog on 7 September during the course of my recent visit to the Middle East. Our exchange covered bilateral relations between Ireland and Israel as well as other issues of mutual interest, notably the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.
During our exchange, I shared reflections from my visit, the preceding day, to the West Bank and East Jerusalem. This included a visit to Beitunia Secondary Vocational School for Girls in Ramallah, a meeting with a Bedouin Palestinian family at risk of displacement, and a briefing by members of the West Bank Protection Consortium (WBPC) and UN officials.
These engagements highlighted a range of troubling issues being faced by Palestinians, including the accelerating rates of settler violence and demolitions by Israeli authorities of WBPC-donor-funded humanitarian structures, such as a school in Ein Samiya in the West Bank. Such acts negatively impact essential education for Palestinian children.
I also discussed our concerns in respect of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory in my meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Cohen and Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer.
Ireland has been proactive in ensuring that these issues are highlighted both locally and in international fora. Additionally, Ireland pursues compensation for demolished humanitarian structures with a group of EU Member States through the WBPC, having provided €300,000 in funding to the Consortium in 2022. This underlines our commitment to reducing the vulnerability of Palestinian communities living in Area C of the West Bank, including children’s access to education.
