Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The EU is saying the right things, however statement after statement goes completely unnoticed by the Israeli authorities. Look at what has happened to date. Already, there are 34 illegal settlements in the Golan Heights and 167 illegal settlement businesses. That has meant the displacement of 340 Syrian villages and over 130,000 Syrian civilians already. That is what has happened to date. If this plan goes through, by 2048, 250,000 people will have been transferred into the Golan Heights, which will also see the construction of two new cities. We know that this violates all international law including the Fourth Geneva Convention, which relates to the protection of civilians in time of war and unambiguously outlaws population transfers into occupied territory.

The altering of the status of occupied Golan Heights has been condemned on numerous occasions, including by the Security Council, yet the situation continues. If this is a ploy by Prime Minister Netanyahu as part of his election campaign, it has brought tremendous stress, tension and uncertainty to residents in the Golan Heights who already face severe challenges.

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