Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 24 together.

As the Deputies will know, I have given a very high priority to the Middle East peace process since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2017 and I will continue to do so as Minister with responsibility for foreign affairs and as Minister for Defence. I have personally been very engaged in efforts to keep the issue high on the international agenda and have made four working visits to Israel and Palestine, most recently in December 2019. 

The unilateral annexation by Israel of any part of the occupied Palestinian territory would be a very clear violation of international law. It would have no legitimacy, would not be recognised or accepted by Ireland or by the international community more generally and would be deeply damaging to the two-state solution. 

The programme for Government states that the Government will:

Continue to work with other Member States to give leadership within the EU to oppose any annexation or plans to apply Israeli sovereignty over territory in the West Bank, which is part of the occupied Palestinian territory. The Government would regard any such moves as a breach of international law and would consider an appropriate response to them at both national and international level.

I have been forthright in my public statements on the issue of annexation. As I said on 23 April, in a statement which remains in line with the position of this Government:

I think it important, as a friend and partner of Israel, to be very clear about the gravity of any such step. Annexation of territory by force is prohibited under international law, including the UN Charter, whenever and wherever it occurs, in Europe’s neighbourhood or globally. This is a fundamental principle in the relations of states and the rule of law in the modern world. No one state can set it aside at will.

Ireland has made every effort over the past year to discourage this step. I have raised this matter directly and clearly with Israeli leaders in person including with the Israeli foreign minister this week and during my visit to the region last December. I have also made our position on this very clear to the current Israeli Government in recent days. My officials continue to convey our views to the Israeli authorities. I have also outlined my serious concerns about possible annexation in discussions with US representatives, most recently the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.

I have engaged extensively with European partners, with a view to encouraging strong EU messages, both public and private, against such an action. When this was discussed at the video conference meeting of EU foreign ministers of 15 May, there was broad agreement that the EU and its member states should convey our concerns directly to the new Israeli Government. That outreach is ongoing. I welcome the very clear statements by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, who has stated that annexation could not pass unchallenged and would inevitably have significant negative consequences for the relationship between the EU and Israel. 

Ireland consistently takes the opportunity to raise this issue at the UN. At the Security Council, Ireland recently outlined our position on annexation in a statement issued on 21 July. This follows previous Irish statements on the Middle East in the council in April and January of this year. Ireland also spoke out against annexation at the meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 15 June.

Annexation would seriously undermine efforts to find a negotiated solution that respects the legitimate positions of both parties. I will continue to work to keep this issue on the international agenda and to prioritise the Middle East peace process, among other issues, as we prepare to take up our seat on the UN Security Council next January.

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