Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This month alone, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia published a report which concluded that Israel is guilty of the international crime of apartheid against the Palestinians. Many of the report's findings could apply equally to Israel's policy in the Golan and be consistent with apartheid. At present, 23,000 Israeli settlers control 95% of the land of the Golan, whereas 25,000 Syrians are confined to five separate severely overcrowded villages.

We agree that we have powerful Defence Forces that have played some great roles over the years but the UN peacekeeper, Ed Horgan, has pointed out that it would be much more sensible and worthwhile for our excellent forces to engage in Darfur, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, rather than being involved in this area where we are only giving legitimacy to Israel's illegal activity.

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