Mary Harney
Ceist:1 Miss Harney asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with PLO President, Yasser Arafat, during his visit to Dublin. [20047/96]
Céisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Meeting with PLO President.
Bertie Ahern
Ceist:2 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority. [20330/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together.
I met the president of the Palestinian National Authority, Mr. Yasser Arafat, on Tuesday, 29 October last. I was accompanied at the meeting by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs.
At the meeting I reaffirmed the full support of Ireland and the European Union for the Middle East peace process. I stressed that the European Union fully supported the key principles which underlie the peace process, namely, land for peace and self determination for the Palestinians. These principles are essential to the achievement of a just, comprehensive and durable peace in the Middle East.
I also stressed that the European Union's commitment to peace in the region was underlined through the significant financial and economic assistance which it gives to the region and through the decision of the European Union to appoint Mr. Miguel Angel Moratinos, the current Spanish Ambassador to Israel, as a special EU envoy.
President Arafat, in response, indicated to me that the Palestinian National Authority remained fully committed to the Middle East peace process. He welcomed the involvement of the European Union and in particular the visit of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs to the region after the Special European Council in Dublin on 5 October last. He looked forward to the visit of the EU Troika later this month and asked the European Union to use its influence with the Israeli Government to ensure that agreements which have already been made are adhered to.
I indicated in response that Prime Minister Netanyahu would be visiting Dublin later this month and that I would raise with him all matters in relation to the Middle East peace process. I also confirmed that the EU would maintain a full and active role in the peace process and that the situation would be reviewed by the European Council at its meeting in Dublin on 13 and 14 December next.
will the Taoiseach accept the Israelis are showing considerable resistance to any meaningful role for the EU? In that context what assurances was he able to give President Yasser Arafat?
The proposed role for the EU was welcomed by all the participants, including the Israelis.
Ba mhaith liom fáilte specialta a chur roimh na daoine go léir atá ag féachaint ar Teilífís na Gaeilge.
Despite all the tension and shocking violence no one says the Israelis or the Palestinians should not continue to talk or that the peace process is dead and there is no hope for it in the future. Is there a lesson to be learnt here for the talks in Northern Ireland? What can happen between now and the Summit on 15 December that would assist President Arafat? He kindly agreed to meet me as leader of the Opposition. In thanking the Government for its co-operation he urged me to continue to use our unique position to its full with other member states between now and 15 December.
Clearly we are having an extension of the question from Palestine to Ireland.
So far as the first part of the Deputy's question is concerned, I agree with all the statements he made about it being necessary for people to talk to one another and so on. I also agree that is a lesson all engaged in any peace process can usefully learn. With regard to what can be done between now and the Dublin European Summit in December, the most immediate step would be an agreement to the Israeli withdrawal from Hebron. That is part of the accord that has not yet been implemented. There should also be a stop to further settlement and we should see the opening of the final status negotiations.
While the Americans seem heavily engaged on the Israeli side and President Arafat is grateful to President Chirac for his intervention, is there anything else that we, as the Presidency of the European Union should do to try to help? It seems as if President Chirac has stolen a march on the European Presidency.
The visit by President Chirac to the Middle East which was very welcome took place after the visit of the Tánaiste, on behalf of the EU Presidency. There is full co-ordination and co-operation between France and all other member states who have a useful role to play in the Middle East and the Irish EU Presidency in all initiatives that we take. There is a common European Union line on all the outstanding and contentious issues in the Middle East peace process. We are continuing to use our economic and political weight as a Union and as the largest customer for the goods produced in all of the countries in the Middle East. As the largest aid donor to the Palestinian area we continue to use our influence in every way possible to push the parties towards agreement.
I indicated in answer to an earlier question by Deputy Harney the immediate steps the Union would like to see taken. From the point of view of the living conditions of people in the Palestinian area, it is urgent that the closures policy adopted by Israel for claimed security reasons be lifted. This closures policy represents, in effect, the punishment of the entire population of the Palestinian areas for acts committed by a small minority and is causing immense damage to the economic prospects of the people concerned. The hardship and the loss of income of people living in the Gaza portion of the Palestinian area are severe and have been observed on behalf of the EU Presidency by the Tánaiste, Deputy Dick Spring, and brought by him to the attention of all concerned. It is a matter of great humanitarian urgency that this closures policy be mitigated and ultimately cease.
The Taoiseach said the Israeli Foreign Minister will visit Ireland. If so, is it his intention to raise that matter with him when he visits?
The Israeli Prime Minister will visit Ireland to meet me and I will raise with him all the matters I have raised in the House and a number of other issues affecting the peace process.
Will the Taoiseach ensure the Israeli Government is not allowed veto the trip to the region by the EU Troika by imposing a condition that it is not allowed visit Orient House? Will he ensure that any visit by the European Union will visit the PLO office in Jerusalem, Orient House?
My understanding is that the forthcoming troika visit will not be to Jerusalem. It will be to Gaza to meet the Palestinian authorities. The Israeli authorities will be met in Cairo.
It sounds very much like a copout and it is nothing less. On the provision of an airport for the people of Gaza, will the Taoiseach ensure the veto of the Israelis on the construction of an airport will be lifted? Will he agree that the Palestinian people, like the rest of the world, are entitled to their own state rather than a homeland?
The European Union is doing everything it can to have that airport provided and opened. I will raise the matter with the Prime Minister Mr. Netanyahu when he comes to visit me. I also raised it with the Foreign Minister Mr. Levy when he visited here. I understand substantial funds are available to open a port for shipping in the Gaza area, mainly from European Union sources. It is important that port be opened because the Palestinian people in the Gaza area, live in one of the most densely populated places in the world. They have very little means of providing for themselves other than through trade. It is of cardinal humanitarian, political and economic importance that they have air and shipping links for trade purposes so that they can make a living.
To what did the second part of the question relate?
A state for the Palestinian people.
I am sorry I failed to recollect the second part of the question. The European Union favours self-determination for the Palestinian people and it is for them to determine what form that should take. Obviously, we want that done in a way which is consonant with the interests of their neighbours and is based on a peaceful accommodation with them. The purpose of the final status negotiations, which the European Union and Ireland want to see open soon, is to resolve the issue of what form the Palestinian right to self-determination should take.
Let us make some progress on other questions.
Will the Taoiseach confirm that the reason the troika will visit Gaza but not Jerusalem is the prior notice of objection from the Israeli prime minister it would not be welcome to visit Orient House in Jerusalem?
The reason the European Union decided to visit Orient House in Jerusalem is that the European Union does not accept the Israeli occupation of east Jerusalem; we have never accepted that. The Union does not share the Israeli view of the status of Jerusalem.
The israelis have always wanted EU visitors to meet them in Jerusalem. To ensure that would not be construed as taking their view on the status of Jerusalem the Union devised the policy that while visiting Jerusalem to meet the Israelis the troika would call on Orient House. However, the proposed troika visit will not go to Jerusalem and, therefore, the issue does not arise. The contact with the Israelis will be in Cairo and with the Palestinian authority will be in Gaza, the area administered by the Palestinian authority.
The troika should, at least, go to Jerusalem.
We will now move on to Question No. 3.
It is very important in a peace process that people should attempt to avoid needless confrontations. The approach the troika will take, contrary to that advocated by Deputy Burke, is the correct one given the sensitive stage at which the peace process is.
It is a cop out.
Needless confrontations about issues of punctiliousness are not necessarily in the interests of the peace process.
It is a little more than that.