Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I was forcibly struck by Dr. Sabella's comment that Palestine is powerless to go ahead with elections and that its right to hold elections depends on many forces outside, despite the right of the Palestinian people to have elections. Some of the points he made were made by the committee recently when it met an Israeli delegation. One point was that Palestine is not the enemy and that there is even more potential for Palestine and Israel to work together given the other very serious threats in the Middle East.

I met some of the Bethlehem students a few months ago. It is always disappointing to hear about their colleagues who are not allowed to travel. Other governments could do more to ensure that students have the right to travel and visit other countries. What has been shown up is the ineffectiveness of what is happening at the United Nations, regardless of what resolutions are passed and the reports from the special rapporteurs. How can we get the peace process back on track? It appears from what Dr. Sabella said that seeking recognition is one of the ways forward. It is easier for the EU to provide funding. While that is necessary and very important, it is probably the easier option for the EU rather than bringing these matters to the fore and doing something tangible about them.

I have been in Aida Camp several times, so I was appalled to hear about what had happened recently. We met youth groups and the cultural groups. We met Al-Rowwad and I am aware of its commitment to peace. Its slogan is "Beautiful Resistance". Its members were here in this Parliament and we met them several times. There was an amazing concert in Liberty Hall in which they did their dabke dancing. One meets people and one knows their commitment to working together into the future, but then one sees the way in which they are treated. I have written to the Israeli ambassador about that.

I have some questions on the role of the Palestinian Legislative Council. One is about Palestinian prisoners. There are over 5,000 who are in prison for six months under renewable sentencing. Can the council play a role in that regard? The threats to the Bedouin arise occasionally when one sees the land grabs for the settlements. There have not been many successful cases in the Israeli courts about that. There are tensions among some of the Christian communities because they feel under threat from certain elements within the Muslim community and from ultra-Orthodox Jews. The Israeli delegation spoke about their suggestions for the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Is Dr. Sabella hopeful about that situation?

My final question is about a Palestinian poet, Ashraf Fayadh, who is in jail in Saudi Arabia under sentence of death. Has his case been taken up with the Saudi authorities?