Ms Natasha Hausdorff:

My opening remarks already addressed the legal status of the territory. The assumption of an occupation or that the presence of Israeli Jews living in the West Bank is in some way an offence to international law is nonsensical.

To address Deputy Brady's questions on international law with respect to Israel's recent conduct, it is clear that the IDF adhere to standards well beyond those required by international law. The measures taken by the Israeli army to prevent civilian casualties are well known and they have been practised through the recent conflicts with the Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip. They include devoting time to calling individual householders, informing them of strikes that are planned. They include sending messages via text and also dropping leaflets. There is also the now renowned knock-on-roof tactic. That is why, when one looks at the videos coming out of the Gaza Strip over the last few days, one does not see civilians running from strikes because they have already been given the warning. It is Hamas rockets that fall indiscriminately upon the Palestinian civilians who have no shelters because the Palestinian terrorists put their bombs in shelters and their civilians on top of their bombs of them. That is the inversion that was already aired earlier today.

So far as the breaches of international law that were alleged with respect to Israel's conduct in terms of passing its nation's state law, the fact that this is being challenged is, in my submission, a perfect indication of why nation state law is so important as a constitutional affirmation of Israel's status as a sovereign Jewish nation state. The eagerness of so many to denounce as undemocratic a measure that is considered mundane elsewhere is instructive. This was a crucial part of Israel's constitutional process and reflected the key components of the declaration of independence.

With respect to settlements, I must question the logic of many of the questions that were posed over Jews living in communities in Judea and Samaria. If settlements were important to the Palestinians, they would have brought their leadership to the negotiation table sooner rather than later. As for the West Bank, anyone can drive from the southern to the northern end of the Jordan Valley without encountering a checkpoint. Route 90 is accessible to everyone. Therefore, claims that this committee has heard, that a family from Jericho cannot go and float in the Dead Sea, are just false. There is no impediment to accessing the northern part of the Dead Sea. In fact, the fact that this committee has been lied to is something that I suggest ought to be taken very seriously indeed.

When one looks at the report by Human Rights Watch that has been referenced, which I have read, the report itself-----