Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

By any objective analysis the work of Irish Aid on the ground and the work of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade over many years have been proactive in directly assisting communities in the West Bank and across Palestine. There is an area called Area C - 60% of the West Bank is considered to be Area C. The Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, which is co-ordinated by the World Council of Churches, claims that Israel retains near-exclusive control, including over law enforcement, planning and construction. An important part of Area C has been allocated for the benefit of Israeli settlements or the Israeli military at the expense of Palestinian communities. Just this month 35 people, one third of them children, were displaced following these forcible transfer actions.

At what stage does the European Union or the United Nations stop expressing its concerns? What logical action can we take? If we have invested so much time, money and resources in assisting these people, at what stage do we shout "Stop"?

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