Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on this issue. I congratulate the Minister, the Government and all who have contributed on the manner in which they have spoken and on having the temerity to bring together opinion in this House. I attended the COSAC meeting in Madrid yesterday where the Irish delegation representing this House - of all parties - successfully initiated a similar resolution, a motion which was adopted at the closure of the meeting. We eventually got the agreement of the 27 member states, although, unfortunately, the motion was watered down considerably from the original version. However, there was unanimity on the final adoption of the motion.

Like others here, I was one of those who, along with other members from the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, paid a visit to the Gaza region just under a year ago. We saw at first hand the kind of issues that have already been mentioned. There is no justification whatsoever for the kind of siege now being imposed on Gaza. Any attempt by a democratic state to prolong such activity - obviously intending to continue with it ad infinitum - in pursuit of the blockade cannot be justified. Unfortunately, it appears the Israeli authorities are showing contempt for the international community, because they know full well what international opinion is likely to be. This is not to say that any of us support terrorism. We do not, but we recognise that fair must be fair and some regard must be had for human and civil rights. The total disregard of these by a government or any democratic institution cannot be countenanced.

I strongly support the opinion expressed by a number of speakers, particularly the Fine Gael leader, which suggested to the Minister that he should engage with his EU colleagues on this. The Government needs to engage with the entire European Community. It is from that quarter that the greatest influence is likely to come. As we know, there is a preferential trade arrangement between the European Union and Israel. We recognise Israel is a small country in a location beset by hostile people. However, that does not justify what is happening now. The result of what is happening now increases support for terrorism on the other side. Every time a violation of human and civil rights or an atrocity such as the one that has just happened is carried out by a legitimate government, it brings into disrepute the legitimacy of that government and shows a clear contempt for international opinion.

International opinion should mean something - at least it used to mean something. Many years ago, this country appealed successfully to international opinion to become involved. It was that engagement that eventually proved most helpful to our cause. I remind the Minister that it is hugely important that we engage at EU level and that all the people of the European Union are brought on board. Some of those in the Union are reluctant to become involved. This, unfortunately, is our weakness, because the Israeli authorities are quite familiar with the weakness of the debate coming from within the Union. This weakness gives Israel weight and strength to pursue the kind of activity it pursued on Sunday night and Monday morning. That is not acceptable. While the European Union is seen as a powerful entity, it will, unfortunately, be seen as a weak entity if it backs off and fails to impress upon the Israeli authorities the necessity to observe human rights.

During our visit to the region almost a year ago, we saw at first hand the evidence of what has happened there. We did not just accept the evidence as presented to us, but asked probing questions. The Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Joint Committee on European Affairs produced a joint report on their visit, a report that was much criticised by the Israeli authorities. The Joint Committee on European Affairs is currently holding hearings and bringing in both sides to address it with a view to determining whether or to what extent human and civil rights were abused. The parties should not be concerned about how this will be done. The committee will carry out its work impartially, as it has done in the past. The Israeli authorities should not be afraid of the process.

One thing that should come from this event is that it should be the watershed. What happened on Sunday night and Monday morning should be the issue that determines whether the international community is capable of exerting positive influence in a democratic way on the Israeli authorities with a view to getting them to recognise that just because there are atrocities on the other side, they cannot dismiss international opinion and resort to the same kind of violence in which the so-called terrorists were involved or to which they resorted. By doing that, they bring the legitimacy of the legitimate government down to the same level of those with no regard for that legitimacy.

The Minister has the full support of all sides in this House and has an opportunity now, as a Minister representing a small country within the European Union, to exert that influence. He will receive support from the wider European Community and from the United Nations. Many contributors have spoken about the Irish representatives in the region and about John Ging and the tremendous work he has done and the fair-minded manner in which he has done it.

I cannot understand why it is not possible to find a means, under the auspices of the UN, to address the issues relating to Gaza. I do not understand why it is not possible to transport food and medicine supplies and that the supplies necessary for reconstruction cannot be legitimately transported into Gaza under the auspices of the UN.

The Israeli authorities must recognise that not everyone is their enemy. Historically, some of us have supported their nation's right to exist. By virtue of their recent activities, however, the Israelis are making it difficult for anyone to support them.

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