Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

Yes. The making of a Palestinian child criminally responsible at the age of 16 years is simply unacceptable when an Israeli child is deemed not to be criminally responsible until he or she is 18 years. This is clearly discriminatory and a breach of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. I urge the Israeli authorities to accept immediately the recommendation made. I am also concerned about other issues affecting the treatment of Palestinians, such as arrests in the middle of the night and detention without access to families. There is something horrific about young teenagers being arrested and the humiliation of children in detention.

I am aware of the point made by the Deputy about the trauma children suffer when they see their parents mistreated. As a parent, I do not understand it. How can one understand it? It pains me. I hold no negative views about Israel and I have no negative personal views about the Israeli people; quite the opposite is the case. However, I believe for a people with a tradition of great humanity and which has made such a contribution to humanity it is a tragedy that the tradition is denied by these actions. I enjoin the Deputy in respect of all the points he has made. The peace talks must be brought forward. We must all recognise the need for a two-state solution and people must learn to live in peace with each other, which was the case for many centuries until the 19th century interventions.

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