Vol. 395 No. 4
56 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to recent statements attributed to the Israeli Ambassador to the effect that no guarantee could be given that Irish troops serving with UNIFIL would not be subject to hostile attack by Israeli security forces; if he has made any protest to the Israeli authorities regarding these comments; if any response has been received; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Our concerns in this regard are fully known and understood by the Israeli authorities. Directly I became aware of the statement attributed to the Israeli Ambassador, I made clear, in my address to the Euro-Arab Parliamentary Dialogue on 11 September last, the Government's position that we hold Israel responsible for the actions of the so-called "South Lebanon Army" (SLA) which Israel arms, trains and finances. Subsequently, at a meeting at the United Nations, I repeated our concerns to the Israeli Foreign Minister in the clearest possible terms.
More recently, on 21 December last, I had to instruct that the Israeli Embassy in London be advised of our serious concern at the shelling of an Irish UNIFIL post by the "South Lebanon Army" and at the persistence of firings close to UNIFIL positions. The Government have since raised the matter directly through our Ambassador to Israel with the Israeli Minister for Defence, to underline that such incidents are unacceptable.
