I propose to take Questions Nos. 740, 741, 743, 745, 747, 773 and 774 together.
The Israeli raids of six Palestinian NGOs that took place on 18 August are a matter of serious concern.
Ireland, along with several other partners providing support to the organisations, has made its views clearly known to Israel. In this respect, I would draw the attention of the Deputies to the joint statement of Ireland and the Foreign Ministries Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden of 19 August, labelling these actions as unacceptable, expressing concern at the further reduction of civil space in the oPt and standing firm with NGOs to uphold the right to freedom of expression and association in the oPt.
The statement recalled the position expressed by the same group of countries in July of this year, noting that no substantial information had been received from the Israeli authorities that would justify these designations. Ireland will continue to support these organisations in the absence of such evidence.
Ireland maintains ongoing engagement with the group of NGOs. The Irish Representative Office in Ramallah met with the affected organisations in recent weeks, including as part of a larger group of EU and other states. Ireland’s Ambassador in Tel Aviv took part in a meeting with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs along with the EU Delegation and 16 other European states, to express concern.
Ireland is also prioritising this issue in the context of the UN Security Council, regularly raising the matter at the monthly meetings of the Council on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. At the most recent meeting on 25 August, Ireland reiterated the unacceptability of these raids and supported UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet's call on Israel to revoke the designations.
I also strongly underlined Ireland’s position on these designations to the Israeli Government in person during my most recent visit to the region.
Civil Society Organisations and human rights defenders play a critical role in promoting international law, peace, human rights and democratic values. Ireland will continue to support such efforts bilaterally and at EU and UN level.
