Dáil debates

Tuesday, 25 May 2021

Annexation of Palestine: Motion [Private Members]

 

6:45 pm

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

I move amendment No. 2:

To delete all words from “condemns the targeting of civilian infrastructure” up to and including the words “international human rights law to protect civilians” and substitute the following: “—condemns the violent acts of Hamas and other militant groups, including the firing of rockets and incendiary devices from Gaza into Israel, the disproportionate and indefensible response of Israel bombing civilians and essential infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, the loss of life in both Israel and Palestine, and recalls the obligations on all parties under international humanitarian law and international human rights law to protect civilians and children while providing humanitarian supports to help rebuild Gaza.”

Today's motion reflects the grave concern of the Irish people and Oireachtas regarding the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. It is a clear signal of the depth of feeling across Ireland on this issue. This Government shares that grave concern in respect of the violence and conflict that we have seen in Gaza and the West Bank and Israel, and on the root causes of the situation and the manifestly unequal treatment of the Palestinian people.

I have spoken on the latest hostilities in the Seanad and in this Chamber twice in the past ten days. I have welcomed the ceasefire that came into effect on 21 May and have called for immediate unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance to those who need it most.

Since I last spoke in this House, the UN Security Council has agreed to a press statement welcoming the ceasefire, mourning the loss of civilian lives and stressing the immediate humanitarian need of the 2 million people living in the Gaza Strip. It also recalled the importance of a comprehensive peace based on two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side. I was disappointed and frustrated that it took the members of the Security Council nearly two weeks to speak publicly together on this issue. Ireland has been vocal in encouraging the Security Council to live up to its responsibilities in addressing the hostilities and in supporting efforts towards a just and lasting peace.

As I have previously stated, the scale of deaths and injuries to civilians in this most recent round of hostilities is reprehensible. Protection of all civilians, in Gaza, in the West Bank and in Israel, is of paramount importance and it is an obligation under international humanitarian law. I have called on Israel to ensure that its security forces act in full respect for the principles of proportionality, distinction and precaution in the conduct of its military operations. Accountability must be ensured for the actions of the Israeli security forces.

The acts of terror by Hamas and other militant groups, through firing rockets indiscriminately into Israel, have killed civilians and endangered Israeli and Palestinian lives. This cannot and should not ever be justified either, and again I roundly condemn these actions. The widespread loss of life, the physical and psychological injuries inflicted and the long-lasting damage to critical civilian infrastructure are simply unacceptable. I restate the Government’s principled position that all parties to a conflict must adhere to international humanitarian law and in particular to the rules of distinction, proportionality and precaution.

It is important to acknowledge that the current escalation has not happened in isolation. Today’s motion addresses some of the root causes, which have been a driver of recent tensions. When I addressed the Security Council on 16 May, I said that we must look beyond the cessation of hostilities and ask ourselves how we can move past the current recurring cycles of violence that have been ongoing for years. We cannot return to a situation of business as usual. It is simply no longer an option. We cannot return to the flouting of international law with the relentless expansion of illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territory. We cannot return to forced evictions of Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem and other parts of the West Bank. We cannot return to demolition of Palestinian property, settler violence and intimidation. We must acknowledge that these actions, occurring at a rate unacknowledged by the international community for many years, are a source of legitimate grievance among the Palestinian people and undermine the prospects of peace and much-needed reconciliation.

This motion underlines the seriousness with which this House views this ongoing situation. We have seen the deteriorating situation on the ground in the Gaza Strip and across the West Bank. We have seen the impact of the decisions taken by Israel to develop and expand settlements and to enable evictions and displacement. It is, unfortunately, part of an overall approach that has impeded the rights of the Palestinian people and has failed to respect international law. Israel’s actions in increasing the scope and density of settlements and surrounding infrastructure, which effectively cut off East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank, indicate an intention of permanency. Not only does this deny the Palestinian population access to land, housing and livelihoods, it undermines the viability of a future contiguous Palestinian state.

This, of course, is not something that the international community can sit by and ignore. The scale, pace and strategic nature of Israel’s actions on settlement expansion and the intent behind them have brought us to a point where we need to be honest about what is actually happening on the ground. We need to call it out for what it is. It is de facto annexation. This is not something that I or this House say lightly. We are the first EU member state to do so, but it reflects the huge concern we have about the intent of the actions and, of course, their impact.

Having looked at these developments, the Government and I engaged in good faith with Sinn Féin and quite a number of NGOs on this motion before it was tabled. We had hoped an all-party motion could emerge from Dáil Éireann but that was not possible. The stumbling block was, unfortunately, Sinn Féin’s refusal and inability to condemn the actions of Hamas in indiscriminately firing rockets into Israel and killing innocent civilians. Our amendment is clear and simple. It amends the motion to condemn the killing of civilians by both sides in this conflict and I urge Opposition Members to support the sentiment that emerges from this Oireachtas. I am deeply troubled that the main Opposition party in this House cannot bring itself to denounce the actions of Hamas. I am deeply troubled that Sinn Féin will not even call on Hamas to respect international law and will not denounce the killing of Israeli children by Hamas. The Government amendment simply brings the necessary balance to this motion so that we can support the overall motion when amended.

Ireland has been vocal in its opposition to the threatened evictions in East Jerusalem and expansion of settlements more generally, both of which have contributed to the current events and have done damage to prospects for a two-state solution. I highlighted this and the issue of illegal settlements at the EU Foreign Affairs Council last week. Ireland and the EU have consistently called on the Israeli Government to uphold its international legal obligations, including under the Fourth Geneva Convention, on the treatment of civilian populations, particularly in occupied territory.

At the UN Security Council, we have urged Israel to halt continued settlement expansion, demolition activity and evictions in East Jerusalem. I have underlined at the Council that continued settlement activity is not only illegal but also erodes trust between Palestinians and Israelis. Tomorrow, with Irish support, there will be a special session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on the grave human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. Ireland will support an independent international commission of inquiry into the matter. I also spoke on the issue with White House National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, and US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who were both passing through Shannon Airport last night. We had nearly three hours of discussion. Secretary Blinken was on his way to the Middle East. The Security Council meets again this Thursday for a monthly briefing on the Palestinian question and Ireland will continue our engagement.

As I said earlier, returning to the status quo is no longer an option but that will happen by default without sustained political attention to resolve the underlying problems. Without this, the cycle of violence will continue as it has done for decades. Repressive, discriminatory and provocative policies and actions take us further away than ever from the prospect of achieving a just, lasting and comprehensive peace. Breaking the cycle of repression and hatred is integral to achieving a peace settlement. Progress requires dialogue and ultimately there can be no substitute for direct negotiations between both parties. It is time to look afresh at how the international community can really assist Israelis and Palestinians to bring new thinking and a new momentum to resolving this conflict and to ensuring equitable treatment for both peoples. I hope this House will unite and support the Government, along with other parties in this House, in our joint efforts.

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