Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 4: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has expressed to the Israeli Government his condemnation of the recent death of civilians in the Gaza Strip following Israeli military activity; if he has raised the continuing demolition of houses in east Jerusalem with his Israeli counterpart; if he has discussed with his European counterparts the latest statement from Hamas, in which both recognition of Israel and the two-state solution in the Middle East are rejected; if he has communicated the concern of the Irish Government regarding this statement to the Palestinian National Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39721/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is deeply concerned by the situation in the occupied territories, and especially by the toll of death and destruction in Gaza. We have conveyed our position clearly and consistently in direct contacts with the relevant parties, including the Israeli Government. We have been to the fore in the formulation of EU policy positions on the issues involved and have played a prominent role at UN level. We will continue to do so actively.

Deputies will be aware that I condemned unreservedly the killing of 18 civilians in the shelling of Beit Hanoun by the Israeli Defence Forces on 8 November. I also condemned the killing of an Israeli woman in rocket attacks on Sderot on 15 November. The Government has continued to call for an immediate end to all violence, including the Israeli military operation in Gaza and the firing of rockets on Israel from Palestinian territory.

The General Affairs and External Relations Council in Brussels on 13 November strongly deplored the Israeli military action in Gaza and the unacceptable military operation in Beit Hanoun. On 17 November, an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution, which was introduced by the Palestinian delegation, calling on Israel to cease immediately military operations that endanger the Palestinian civilian population and to withdraw its forces from within the Gaza Strip to the positions they occupied prior to 28 June. The resolution also calls on the Palestinian Authority to take immediate and sustained action to bring an end to violence, including the firing of rockets into Israeli territory. Following intensive co-ordination within the EU, Ireland and all other EU member states voted in favour of the resolution.

The continuing violence and the serious humanitarian situation in Gaza underline the urgent need to revive a credible peace process in the Middle East. We strongly support the efforts of President Abbas to negotiate the formation of a Palestinian national unity government with Hamas and the other Palestinian groupings, and our representative in Ramallah has conveyed this to him directly. Given the context, it is not surprising that these negotiations have proved difficult and that agreement has not yet been reached. In recent weeks there has been some evidence of differences of emphasis and approach in a number of statements by spokesmen for Hamas.

I have stated on many occasions that if agreement can be reached on a Government committed to a two-state solution and based clearly on an end to violence, Ireland will argue strongly for a generous and creative political response from the EU and the international community.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

The EU has stated that a Government with a platform reflecting the Quartet principles and allowing for early engagement would be a partner for the international community in re-launching the peace process.

The Government and our EU colleagues continue to impress on the Israeli Government the urgent need to end all practices in the occupied territories which threaten to undermine the viability of a two-state solution and which are in contravention of international law. These include the continuing expansion of settlements, the construction of the separation barrier on occupied land and the practice of the demolition of Palestinian homes in east Jerusalem. The EU also continues to make it clear that it will recognise no changes to the pre-1967 borders other than those negotiated between the parties as part of a final status agreement.

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Does the Minister really believe the Israeli Government gives a damn what the Irish Government or European Union believe? It totally ignores calls for a reasonable approach in addressing the issues concerning Gaza. If the Irish Government or European Union has any intention of taking effective action regarding the events in Gaza and south Hebron, it should bear this in mind. I saw where a health centre and school had been levelled. The cave people, whose ancestors have been living in the region for 2,000 years, have had their caves destroyed. Instead of heeding a request for tolerance by a delegation from the Irish Parliament——

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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They made arrests.

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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——the Israeli authorities levelled one of the community centres two days later and arrested a number of people we had met.

Does the Minister agree that Hamas's recent rejection of the two-state approach is unhelpful and totally contrary to what the European Union believes? Does he agree that, without some tolerance on the part of Hamas, there is no hope of peaceful coexistence between Israel and a sovereign Palestinian state?

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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We should not give up hope. While I accept that some of the utterances by Hamas on the two-state solution have been unhelpful, it must be acknowledged that it is the international community, and not just the European Union, that advocates such a solution. The involvement of the Union has been upscaled recently and it is interesting to note that, over the past year, it has increased its aid allocation to Palestine by 30%. There has been a 40% increase in the allocation of the Irish Government. Although there has been a ramping up in aid, we fully accept the humanitarian situation in the region is dire. However, a solution will only be reached if a viable Government is formed and that is one reason the European Union has been trying its level best to assist Hamas and President Abbas in putting together a national unity Government. We believed we were close to doing so in recent days and weeks but, unfortunately, the process is taking somewhat longer. Until the parties involved acknowledge the two-state solution as the only viable way in which the people can live side by side, the region will continue to be subject to flux.

The European Union has launched a number of initiatives. A recent one spearheaded by three countries, including Spain, contains a number of positive features we believe could be taken on board. The French were involved to some extent. However, the conflict ultimately must be dealt with in the context of the international community, under the guise of the Quartet, pushing the two-state solution. It is a question of encouraging the people I hope will be going into government in Palestine to recognise what are regarded in this House as democratic norms, including adherence to non-violence. They must recognise that Israel is a democratic country. It is understandable that one may have difficulties with the attitude of the Israelis in view of what has happened but we must be conscious that it is not a one-sided issue.

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Did the Minister approach the Israeli ambassador to express our condemnation of the recent acts of barbarism by the sovereign Israeli Government?

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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My views in that regard have been put on record on a number of occasions. The Deputy will be aware that we called in the Israeli ambassador to state very clearly our grave concern at what happened during the recent conflict in Lebanon.

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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I meant Gaza.

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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There is of course constant contact with the Israeli Embassy in Dublin regarding all those issues, as there is with the Palestinian representative.