David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join others in thanking our guests. I also condemn the killings and injuries that have occurred in recent times. Any death at any time is to be condemned. We must express our condolences to the bereaved and call for all of this activity to stop.

Many questions have been raised by colleagues and I will not cover old ground because time is short. One of the big issues that faces us all at the moment is Covid-19. I ask our guests to comment on the Covid-19 vaccination programme in the various areas that have been mentioned, in particular the West Bank and Gaza Strip. We have heard various reports and I ask the ambassador to give us some up-to-date information on what exactly is happening and the impact. Israel has told us that it is opening up its economy and leads the world in having a vaccinated population. What is the vaccination situation for the Palestinian people?

Mr. Meehan is a former head of Trócaire. In my former job with the Chairman, we were very concerned about refugees and asylum seekers. Where do people go when they have been displaced following the demolition of their houses and homes? Do people have to move? Where do they go? I ask him to paint the picture.

Mention has been made of the freezing of diplomatic relations. Our Minister has said more than once that if dialogue is cut off completely, a certain amount of a persuasive position is lost. He is not in favour of cutting off dialogue. The cutting off of diplomatic relations might actually mean cutting off dialogue. I have heard all the other arguments that have been made and taken them on board. It is quite important that our meeting took place today because it is important that we are informed by the people who are on the ground and know what they are talking about. The history of the region is extraordinarily complicated for very many decades.

The Minister has called on Israel to halt demolitions. On 26 February, at a meeting of the UN Security Council, he commented strongly on the issue and our ambassador has also been involved. We have made our positions quite clear but today's meeting is quite important for us to raise awareness and give our guests a voice.