John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. O'Gorman, Mr. Hanley and our guest in South Africa. They are very welcome to the committee to discuss what is a very important publication. It follows previous publications from B'Tselem, Human Rights Watch and most recently from the former Israeli attorney general, Michael Benyair. They have all come to the conclusion that Israel is operating a system of apartheid. This is something people have been saying for a long time. There is overwhelming and convincing evidence now to show what is being operated on the Palestinians is apartheid.

The committee has done extensive work on this issue and Israel's brutal policies against the Palestinians. A witness who previously came before the committee, Professor Noura Erakat, told the committee what Israel's goal is and it summed it up for me:

Israel's goal is to take as much Palestinian land, with as few Palestinians on the land as possible, and to concentrate the greatest number of Palestinians onto the least amount of land possible. This is evidenced in, and explains, the 29 contiguous bantustans in the West Bank, the concentration of Palestinians in an open air prison in the Gaza Strip.

That is what this is all about. Of course, we know exactly where bantustans originated. It was in the apartheid system that was in operation in South Africa. Unfortunately it took far too long to dismantle it and that only happened when the eyes of the world were opened up to the brutal actions of the apartheid system in South Africa. Unfortunately, the world continues to look away when fantastic and hard-hitting reports such as this are published. They show clearly what is happening on the ground.

I have several questions and perhaps the witnesses can answer them at the conclusion. Mr. O'Gorman said work on the report was done between July 2017 until 2021. We know Israel has dismissed every report that has criticised it. It has said it is refusing to embark or engage with the investigation by the International Criminal Court, ICC. Was research and analysis carried out on the ground? Was there any support from the Israeli occupation authorities? How was the research and work carried out?

I have listened to the international reaction to the report and the attempts to dismiss it. I saw the response from our Minister for Foreign Affairs when he was asked for our response. He said he has highlighted Ireland's clear position expressing concern regarding the unequal treatment of Palestinians and the application of different standards in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. He stated Ireland will continue to raise our concerns regarding discriminatory practices towards the Palestinian people. This response is exactly why we have the report we have. Ministers such as Deputy Coveney and the international community throughout the world continue to bury their heads in the sand and allow this system of apartheid to carry on.

The report contains some very good recommendations. I want to hone in on some of them. Along with others I have highlighted how Ireland is complicit in the apartheid system in operation in the occupied territories and throughout Palestinian lands. We have seen the continued opposition to allowing the occupied territories Bill coming forward. It would be a definitive measure and a stand against the brutal occupation and apartheid system. We see the refusal to bring it forward.

Last year, after considerable debate, Ireland was the first EU country to declare that Israel has breached international law in annexing Palestinian lands. Since then the silence has been absolutely deafening. We find that Israel has breached international law but we are not prepared to do anything to hold it to account. This is a major failure.

What is the view of our guests on that issue? It stands in stark contrast to what is happening in other parts of the world at the moment in the context of the territorial integrity of Ukraine being at serious risk and the brutal actions of Russia. Swift action was taken in respect of that brutal occupation - measures and sanctions were imposed straight away - but we see the inconsistency of the international community in the failure to impose similar measures, or any measures whatsoever, in respect of the brutal actions of Israel.

There are several recommendations relating to military co-operation between states and Israel. From 2011 to 2014 there was €3 million in trade between the Irish Defence Forces and the Israeli defence forces. That involved the buying of weapons that have been tested on Palestinian citizens. The response of the Minister is that there is a proper procurement process in place. It is absolutely crazy that the State is carrying on any trade, but particularly military trade, with Israel. I note that is one of the recommendations in the report. All of the recommendations need to be adopted straight away but I refer in particular to the recommendation relating to the UN General Assembly and calling for the re-establishment of the special committee on apartheid. That is something that can be done and must be done straight away.

I do not disagree with anything in the report. It is about how we make the international community and the Irish Government take action when they continue to stick their heads in the sand. They are seriously in breach of so many international laws. These are crimes against humanity but those in the international community, including Ireland, continue to stick their heads in the sand. How will we force the Government to take action? It seems to be hiding behind the EU but the EU is not interested and does not want to take action for whatever reason. Fundamentally, ordinary citizens need to take a stand in the first instance and force the Government of the day to take action, as the Dunnes Stores workers did back in the 1980s when they took a stand against the apartheid system in South Africa. I commend the report but it is critical that political pressure is exerted on those who have the influence and power to actually bring an end to the crimes against humanity and the flagrant breaches of humanitarian law that are being carried out. There are so many recommendations in the report that relate to the UN. UN expert Michael Lynk has stated the Israeli settlement expansion tramples on human rights laws. That is a UN special rapporteur himself stating clearly that what Israel is doing is trampling on human rights laws. There are voices pointing out the flagrant breaches of international law and criticising that but how can we force those in power to take action and stand up against the brutal actions of Israel?