Middle East

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 November 2023

Tuesday, 14 November 2023

Questions (71)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

71. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications whether he will be engaging with European Union colleagues regarding the memorandum of understanding between the European Union, the State of Israel and the Arab Republic of Egypt in respect of the delivery of gas to the European Union, given that the memorandum of understanding lacks the application of long-standing European Union policy that all agreements with the State of Israel should be explicitly inapplicable to territories occupied by the State of Israel in 1967; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49409/23]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (Deputy Eamon Ryan)

The EU is committed to ensure that all agreements between the State of Israel and the EU must unequivocally and explicitly indicate their inapplicability to the territories occupied by Israel in 1967. This is in line with United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution 2334, which calls on all United Nations states to distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967. The Memorandum of Understanding that was signed on 15 June 2022 is of non-binding nature, for which, because of this non-binding nature, in general no territorial clause on the applicability is deemed necessary. Nevertheless, the EU is strictly prohibited, also in the implementation of a non-binding instrument, from acting in a way, which would amount to recognise the illegal Israeli occupation. Therefore, the implementation of such Memorandum of Understanding will not apply in any form to the occupied Palestinian territory, which entails that Israeli supplies of natural gas as per the implementation of the memorandum of understanding may not originate from resources appropriated from Palestinian territories occupied by Israel. Implementation of this Memorandum of Understanding is a matter for the European Commission and I have no role in this matter.