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

We have already debated these issues but this is also a very useful question to respond to. Israel’s new coalition Government took office on 13 June. I have written to the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yair Lapid, and I look forward to having a chance to speak with him in due course on a range of issues. The EU High Representative has spoken to Mr. Lapid. I participated in a discussion on the Middle East at the Foreign Affairs Council on Monday. The relationship between Israel and the EU is important and we hope to have an opportunity to meet with Minister Lapid at the Foreign Affairs Council in the coming months.

Civil society organisations play a valuable role in protecting human rights. My Department considers the analysis of civil society on the situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, including the report to which the Deputy referred. Ireland also provides financial support to Israeli and Palestinian non-governmental organisations, NGOs, working on human rights, particularly in occupied Palestinian territory. The human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory is very concerning. Ireland raises concerns about human rights and unlawful and discriminatory practices against Palestinians, both directly with the Government of Israel, and in multilateral forums. Many of the Deputies will have heard me doing that, including at the UN Security Council and the Human Rights Council.

Ireland’s position will continue to be based on international law, Israel’s obligations as an occupying power under the Fourth Geneva Convention and the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council. Later today, Ireland will participate in the monthly UN Security Council meeting on the situation on the Middle East. Today’s session, which includes Israeli and Palestinian permanent representatives to the UN, focuses on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2334, which relates to settlements. Ireland will set out our clear position on the illegality of Israeli actions on settlements, evictions and unnecessary demolitions and our concerns at the scale and nature of their expansion, which negatively impact both the human rights of Palestinians in the occupied territory and prospects for a future, viable two-State solution.

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