Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I join the Taoiseach in commending the Irish peacekeeping troops based in Lebanon who are contributing to UN efforts to maintain peace in that dangerous region. I acknowledge his concern about the decision made in December by the US President, Mr. Trump, to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The decision is in contravention of established international understandings and UN resolutions and has significantly heightened tensions in the Middle East. President Trump has substantially cut US funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, for Palestinian refugees in the Near East. At Davos he threatened to cut all aid to Palestine and close the Palestinian office in Washington. He is ignoring the rights of the Palestinian people in his support for Israel.

Currently, 350 children are held in Israeli prisons. Among them is 16-year-old Ahed Tamimi who faces up to ten years in prison for slapping an Israeli soldier. Tomorrow will be her 17th birthday which she will celebrate in an Israeli military court. Will the Taoiseach join me in calling for her and all imprisoned Palestinian children to be released? Will he consider committing to increasing our funding for UNRWA, as Belgium has done, to make up some of the shortfall as a result of President Trump's dangerous decision? Will the Government support Senator Francis Black's Occupied Territories Bill which would ban trade in goods produced by Israel in the illegal settlements? Will the Taoiseach agree to implement the Oireachtas decision of three years ago to recognise the state of Palestine and upgrade the Palestinian mission in Dublin to the status of a full embassy?

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