Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 13 Mar 1990

Vol. 396 No. 9

Written Answers. - Soviet Immigrants in Israel.

Seán Ryan

Ceist:

36 Mr. Ryan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, in the context of the Irish Presidency of the EC, he has taken any action or initiatives in respect of the current situation in Israel regarding the vast influx of Soviet immigrants; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Joe Sherlock

Ceist:

48 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline the Government's attitude to the continued large scale immigration to Israel and especially the settlement of these immigrants in occupied areas; if he has made any representations to the Israeli Government on this matter, especially in the context of the current Middle East peace efforts; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Collins)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 48 together.

I raised this matter directly with the Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister in the course of his visit to Dublin on 21 February. I expressed to him our concern and told him that our view is that Israeli settlements in the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem, are illegal.

Earlier on 31 January, at Ireland's initiative, the Twelve member states of the EC had issued a statement which expressed their serious concern at recent suggestions that immigrants to Israel might be settled in the occupied territories. They recalled their long-standing view that Jewish settlements in the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem, are illegal. The statement noted that the Twelve warmly welcomed the liberalisation of Soviet emigration controls, including the freedom of Soviet Jews to emigrate to Israel and elsewhere, but expressed the hope that the Israeli Government would not jeopardise the prospects for bringing peace to the region by either allowing or encouraging Jewish immigrants to settle in the occupied territories.

Again, on 20 February the Foreign Ministers of the Twelve, at their meeting in Dublin which I chaired, issued a statement which deplored the Israeli settlement policy in the occupied territories. We pointed out that Israeli statements on increased Jewish settlement in the West Bank and Gaza are not conducive to establishing the climate of confidence necessary to make the progress which is urgently needed in the peace process. We reiterated our warm welcome for the liberalization of Soviet emigration controls, including the freedom of Soviet Jews to emigrate to Israel and elsewhere; and noted that this sentiment is very widely shared in the international community, on the basis that the right of everyone to leave any country, including his own, is enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights. We stated that the attainment by Soviet Jews of this right must not, however, be at the expense of the rights of the Palestinians in the occupied territories; and urged the Israeli Government not to jeopardise the prospects of bringing peace to the region by either allowing or encouraging Jewish immigrants to settle in the occupied territories.