In my engagements with the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and the Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, I underlined that Ireland’s approach is grounded in respect for international law, including international human rights and humanitarian law, and that the fundamentals of our position are based on internationally agreed parameters and successive UN resolutions. I raised all of the issues referenced in the Deputy’s question in my political meetings in Israel and emphasised the serious concerns of the Government.
In terms of follow-up, at a political level, as noted in my replies to earlier parliamentary questions, I welcome the Peace Day initiative launched by the EU in partnership with the League of Arab States, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt. I spoke at the launch of this initiative during the UN high level week in New York last Monday and committed that Ireland would engage actively in the follow-up meetings that are envisaged in the coming months. I also discussed the issue with a wide range of Arab and European Ministers during my time in New York, including at a working dinner hosted by the International Peace Institute. I will continue to work with like-minded partners to ensure a sustained focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at EU and international level.
In July, Ireland submitted a statement to the International Court of Justice regarding the advisory opinion on the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. The statement provided Ireland's legal analysis of these policies and practices.
It is also important that we support voices and organisations that promote peace and reconciliation from the ground up. My programme in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory included several meetings with members of civil society. In the city of Lod, for example, I engaged with local political representatives from both the Jewish and Arab Israeli communities, some of whom had recently visited Belfast to share lessons and experiences.
While the current political context does not give rise to optimism in the short term, my firm view is that a two-state solution is still possible but would require a significant change in policy direction, particularly in respect of the Israeli Government. I remain convinced that Ireland has much to offer in restoring a pathway towards meaningful dialogue between the Israeli and Palestinian people and a political horizon towards a two-state solution.
