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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 2 Mar 1993

Vol. 427 No. 2

Written Answers. - Expulsion of Palestinians.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

52 Mr. Allen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the proposals, if any, he has to deal with the expulsion of 415 Palestinians from Israel in December and if he will raise the matter with the Israeli Ambassador.

On 18 December last, Ireland and our partners in the European Community condemned Israel's decision to deport more than 400 Palestinians to Lebanon. We urged the Israeli authorities to allow the deportees to return immediately.

Since then, I have written to the Israeli Foreign Minister, Mr. Shimon Peres, making clear my great concern about the deportations; and I repeated my views to him at our bilateral meeting in Brussels on 1 February. I stressed that the deportations, which took place without prior recourse to the Israeli legal system and in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and Resolution 799 of the Security Council, are contrary to international law and humanitarian principles. Moreover, they have the political consequence of serving the interests of extremists who are seeking to destroy the Middle East Peace Process.
In the meantime, the Israeli Government has decided to permit about 100 deportees to return to and reduce the deportation period for the others. This is a step in the right direction. But it is entirely insufficient. We shall continue to press Israel, bilaterally and through the European Community, to comply in full with Security Council Resoluton 799.
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