Ireland has consistently condemned the dispossession and eviction of Palestinian people in order to clear land for Israeli settlements. This is clearly contrary to international law. I have expressed these concerns in public statements, in contacts with the Israeli Embassy here, and directly to the Israeli Foreign Minister when I visited in February.
We have also consistently made this clear at EU level. The EU has consistently condemned these policies, most recently in the Conclusions of the Foreign Affairs Council in November 2014. I have urged the EU and the international community to take stronger action to oppose this policy.
The villagers of Susiya have been under threat of eviction for some years, and indeed many of them have been evicted from other homes in the area on previous occasions, in some cases more than once. The apparent intention of the authorities is to force them off the land altogether and into the already crowded cities under Palestinian government administration, in order to clear the land for settlements and other purposes. I note the UN Secretary General's view that, should it proceed, this may amount to forcible transfer contrary to the Fourth Geneva Convention, and I share that assessment.
The Irish Representative in Ramallah has visited Susiya twice in recent weeks to show our support for the villagers, including a visit in June as part of a delegation of EU Heads of Mission, accompanying the Palestinian Prime Minister. Irish Aid has also helped provide practical assistance to threatened villages in the area, including solar power and water equipment. Ireland has also supported local NGOs fighting these eviction orders through the courts.
I repeat today my condemnation of these eviction plans, and I call for them to be set aside.
I had the opportunity to discuss this case more fully with the Deputy and others in my meeting last week with the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Deputy might also wish to see the remarks on this issue delivered on my behalf in the Seanad by Minister of State Murphy, on the same day.
