Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the ambassador for his time this afternoon. As a newly elected Sinn Féin Deputy in the last election, I have had no correspondence from the Israeli Embassy. Perhaps, if the ambassador is open to it, I will give him my email address at the end of this session. I will certainly take him up on an invitation to meet outside of this setting.

It will probably come as no surprise to the ambassador that before any ambassador comes in, the members of the committee are provided with a comprehensive country note. This is simply because ambassadors are not afforded the time to speak about every aspect of what goes on in the country they are here to represent.

I want to raise with the ambassador one issue, specifically, that caught my eye. The note says that Israel is a highly developed and technologically advanced economy in terms of software, medical technologies and pharmaceuticals. The next point, however, goes on to say that wages are low. The next goes on to say that the education system has not been well invested in over the past number of years. Is this accurate? If so, why is that the case? I have no issue with providing the ambassador with this but it states major investment and policy changes will be needed to even maintain current levels of achievement with regard to the education sector in Israel. I find that perplexing, to be honest. I would not have presumed this was an issue for the country the ambassador represents.

Finally, as others have referred to, while here previously, the Palestinian ambassador made a statement about Israel using occupied lands in a method to bypass its environmental laws, causing untold hardship for farmers due to the diversion of water. Is this statement also something the ambassador would agree with? If this is happening and Palestinians are buying back water at a premium, I believe we will all agree that access to water is a fundamental human right.