Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The world is shocked and horrified at the events taking place in the Middle East in the last 11 days. The response of Israel to peaceful protests across the West Bank and in East Jerusalem has been confrontational. It is unacceptable. The air strikes by Israel on Gaza are brutal and disproportionate. Many innocent civilians, including children, have been killed. The air strikes by Israeli defence forces on Gaza and the rocket attacks by Hamas from Gaza on Israel have to stop. There is an urgent need for a ceasefire. The international community must intervene. Ireland must continue its efforts to restore peace in the short term and bring about a long-term political settlement in the region through the UN Security Council, the EU Foreign Affairs Council and the Council of the European Union. So far, the United Nations Security Council has failed in this regard and we know the reasons for that.

Of course, there is a long history to these hostilities. Israel began to implement its plan to occupy and resettle Palestinian territory decades ago, which resulted in oppression and injustice being visited on the Palestinian people ever since. This activity is relentless, and especially now in the West bank and East Jerusalem. It involves home demolitions and forced displacement and transfers. The appropriation of Palestinian homes, lands and properties continues. This expansion of Israeli settlements and the creeping process of annexation has to stop. These actions are fundamentally breaching Palestinians' human rights and are, in so many ways, a breach of international humanitarian law. Palestinians are being denied equal rights and are being discriminated against in areas effectively under Israeli control. By any objective standard, this can be called apartheid and should be treated as such by the international community. A long-term political solution is needed to resolve this ongoing cycle of violence. Strong commitments are given in the programme for Government on this issue, which refers to the need for a two-state solution, to recognising the state of Palestine, opposing the annexation of territory in the West Bank and opposing the maintenance and expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. All of this has to happen. Israel must be persuaded to the existence of a Palestinian state.

The occupied territories Bill did not make the programme for Government, and there are political reasons for that. In any event, the Attorney General has stated that it is incompatible with EU law. Next month, however, the European Commission will publish a legislative proposal on mandatory EU-wide human rights and environmental due diligence. I believe this is very relevant to the situation in the occupied territories in the Middle East. I hope that this proposal can be agreed and implemented as soon as possible.

I welcome that this debate is taking place in Government time but the Dáil must pass an all-party motion dealing with these issues. The all-party motion would call on the Government to take all measures within its power to make sure Israel is held accountable for its annexation of Palestinian territory, that it halts all settlement activity and that it ensures equal rights and an end to discrimination to all people who are, effectively, under its control. This would send out a powerful message and I hope we can all agree on this. I also welcome the humanitarian aid the Minister announced today for the humanitarian crisis in Palestine.

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