Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 March 2024
4. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason the Israeli ambassador has not been summoned by his Department after the killing of a person (details supplied) despite the Russian ambassador rightfully being summoned in the wake of another death in Russia; and the reason the same standards are not applied to both. [11135/24]
View answerThe Tánaiste has at several points today referenced the need for the international community to keep the pressure on Israel. One way we in Ireland can do that is to summon the ambassador, as would be the normal diplomatic convention. Why has the Tánaiste not done that to date?
I will answer the Deputy's full question as it is presented in terms of the killing of a journalist. Ireland is committed to upholding the UN Charter and the rules-based international order. These principles underpin Ireland's international engagement across the board, including in respect of media freedom, the protection of journalists and the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of expression.
Following the killing of the Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin in May 2022, Ireland was proactive in repeatedly condemning her killing and calling for an investigation, including in statements delivered in the UN Security Council during our term as a member. Ireland also took the initiative to shine a light on Shireen’s killing and on the urgent issue of the protection of journalists by convening an informal Security Council meeting just a few days after she was killed. By doing so, Ireland made sure that the Council was briefed by media organisations, including Al Jazeera, Shireen’s employer, and by the Committee to Protect Journalists on her killing and on the wider context of the dangers which journalists face in conflict situations every day.
Under international humanitarian law, journalists are protected as civilians. The current conflict in Gaza has been described by the Committee to Protect Journalists as "the most dangerous situation for journalists we have ever seen". Of the 99 journalists killed worldwide in 2023, 72 were Palestinians killed in Gaza after 7 October. That is a shocking statistic. Journalists have a crucial role to bring us the truth. They must never be targeted.
In relation to the ongoing conflict in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, I met the Israeli ambassador to Ireland in my office in Government Buildings last week and communicated Ireland's comprehensive approach to the Israeli-Palestinian issue. I stressed the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and a sustained and massive scale-up in humanitarian assistance. I noted the clear legal position that under international humanitarian law, Israel must protect civilians in Gaza and ensure that the essential needs of the population there are met. I asked her to communicate all of those issues to the Israeli Government.
When the Tánaiste says he met the Israeli ambassador, was that a prearranged meeting or did he summon the ambassador? There is a distinction there that he might clarify. Was the ambassador summoned to relay a protest on behalf of the Irish Government? If that was the case, it is welcome because we should uphold standards. One thing that undermines the very nature of these international institutions is hypocrisy. The Tánaiste rightfully summoned the Russian ambassador to the Department of Foreign Affairs in order to protest the death of Alexei Navalny precisely because he sought to expose corruption. He was targeted by the Russian state of Vladimir Putin because of that. Some 97 journalists have been killed in Gaza since 7 October to stop them from telling the truth about the horrors that are happening there. The Irish State has stood out. I do not believe for a second that anybody has a monopoly on compassion or interest in the situation in the Middle East. We could go further and act unilaterally if necessary by summoning the ambassador, relaying a protest and beginning that process by which we outline our protest, which I believe should lead to us opening our own proceedings at the International Court of Justice, ICJ. That action all starts with a protest.
In respect of the death of Alexei Navalny, the summoning of the Russian ambassador was part of a Europe-wide co-ordinated action connected with his death, the suppression of any dissent in Russia and the manner in which he was treated by the Russian authorities that led to his death. Russia was responsible for his death. Diplomacy and diplomatic channels are about communicating the Irish position in no uncertain terms through an ambassador to his or her government. We know that Israel has communicated to our ambassador in respect of its perspective on Ireland and our position.
In light of that and of what is happening, I felt that a meeting with the Israeli ambassador in my office was the correct decision in order to allow me to communicate, in a very unambiguous and comprehensive way, why Ireland adopted the various positions it has adopted in the international courts, at the EU and the UN and in the public statements we are making. It also allowed me to stress that it is Israel's responsibility to protect Gazan civilians and make sure they have access to the basic essentials of life. We took that opportunity.
Could the Tánaiste outline whether he expressed that Ireland is protesting against Israel's actions in Gaza? The ambassador was summoned with that purpose in mind, namely, for us to outline that under the Geneva Convention Israel is obliged to avoid genocide, indicate that we feel that what is happening in Gaza meets the criterion in that regard and to ask Israel to account for itself. This is a specific obligation. Could the Tánaiste indicate whether we outlined our fears that a potential genocide is taking place in Gaza? Did he outline the fact that journalists are being wantonly targeted and that the bombing of hospitals has occurred? Will the Tánaiste give us more details about his conversation with the Israeli ambassador, because it is very important?
I have already given some details. In particular, we focused on the humanitarian situation, the responsibility of Israel and the 100 people who were killed seeking food and aid. There is no doubt that if there was gunfire, people were shot. We want an investigation into that. We asked Israel to stop undermining UNRWA and to understand that UNRWA is the backbone of humanitarian aid, including educational supports, medical supports and food, in Gaza, and that aid cannot be distributed in Gaza without going through UNRWA. We went through the need for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and I indicated that we wanted our position communicated to the Israeli Government. I spoke to the previous Israeli foreign minister and have communicated our views to his successor, Israel Katz. We wrote to him and sought a discussion.
