Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate where the Deputy is coming from. We are aware that the issue of apartheid has been raised in a number of reports, of which we have taken very careful note, from United Nations rapporteurs and civil society organisations. We support civil society organisations through vital funding despite the fact that some of them are designated as terrorist organisations by the Israeli Government, which is wrong in our view. We have funded civil society organisations in Israel and in the occupied territories. This is necessary in both jurisdictions to ensure freedom of operation for civil society organisations that call out injustices, discrimination, harassment and unacceptable practices on all sides. It is extremely important that we continue to affirm and support civil society organisations.

I referenced complexity. What is clear in terms of the Israeli perspective is the dominance of security in political discourse and electoral considerations. In our view, having had our own experiences of peace processes, having such a one-dimensional and singular approach to issues will never resolve a conflict of this kind where identity, sovereignty and a right to one's state are at the centre. The issue of terror and security from an Israeli perspective dominates all of their responses, which is creating a very unacceptable situation in respect of the treatment of Palestinians more generally.

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