Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 68: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress he made during his recent trip to Israel in relation to the blockade of the Gaza strip; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9573/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I visited Gaza during my recent visit to the region as I wanted to see personally the effects of the blockade on the civilian population. I had useful discussions with Filippo Grandi, the Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, which kindly facilitated my visit. I also visited an UNRWA school and a refugee camp and met with a number of Gazan business people and human rights defenders. The people of Gaza, similarly to people everywhere, simply want the chance to lead a normal life. Gazans want to provide for their families and see their children educated. Young people want the opportunity to pursue their education and business people want to return to running their businesses.

The blockade prevents any semblance of normal life in the territory. It has stifled the Gazan economy and reduced much of the population to a state of complete dependency. It has choked off private industry and encouraged a growing and thriving black market. It prevents UNRWA from transporting the necessary equipment and materials into Gaza for the reconstruction of schools, homes and other necessary infrastructure. The blockade is not only unjust and contrary to international humanitarian law but also totally counterproductive.

In my meetings with the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Netanyahu, and Foreign Minister, Mr. Lieberman, in Israel last month, I stressed the futility of the blockade. I reiterated the Irish Government's view that the blockade clearly causes unnecessary hardship for the civilian population in Gaza and those working to assist them, and that it is not in the interests of Israel or its security. I urged Mr. Netanyahu and his colleagues to take decisive action with regard to ending the blockade of Gaza and, in particular, urged them to ease restrictions on exports and speed up the approval process for vital reconstruction projects being undertaken by the UN. In reply, Mr. Netanyahu indicated that he was open to considering facilitating greater exports from Gaza.

I will be reporting on my visit to Gaza and my discussions with Israeli leaders at the next Foreign Affairs Council on 27 February. The EU has been extremely active in pressing the Israeli authorities to alter fundamentally its policies with regard to Gaza and open up the border crossings to all normal commercial, humanitarian and human traffic, as called for in Security Council Resolution 1860 of January 2009. While there has been some easing in the succeeding three years, the changes made are clearly insufficient and do not fundamentally alter the nature of the blockade imposed on Gaza. I look forward to discussing with my EU colleagues what further steps can be usefully taken at this stage to persuade Israel to abandon its unjust blockade of Gaza.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I commend the Minister on his visit. In his meeting with Mr. Netanyahu, did the Minister get any sense of embarrassment from the man about the fact that 38% of Gazans live in poverty, 31% of the workforce are unemployed, including 47% of young people, and 54% of the Gazan population suffer from food insecurity? It is a horrific indictment of the situation that continues to prevail there. Did the Minister come away from the meeting with the Prime Minister with any sense of hope for the future?

The Minister speaks, rightly, about a renewed drive within the Foreign Affairs Council to address this issue. Is he optimistic that something can be achieved within a reasonable timeframe?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Embarrassment is not the word that comes to mind to describe the response of Mr. Netanyahu to the issues I raised. However, I made it clear to him and to the other Israeli leaders I met that Ireland is very much opposed to the blockade of Gaza, which clearly has a major impact from a humanitarian point of view and also for families and businesses as well as the Gazan economy. I also drew his attention to the fact that the blockade is counterproductive, in that there is a thriving black market within Gaza. Those who are most undermined at an economic level by the blockade are those who are trying to conduct legitimate businesses, as well as the UN agencies that are trying to reconstruct Gaza. I learned, from UNRWA in particular, of the extent to which the blockade is affecting people's daily lives and the impact it has on food security. I visited a food distribution centre and saw the great work that is being done in distributing food supplies and also the major human need for access to food supplies of a very basic nature.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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What adds insult to injury is the continued illegal development of settlements within the Palestinian territory. Does the Minister have any information about this? I anticipate that he will be making a visit to Capitol Hill for St. Patrick's day - at least, one hopes so. If he is, will he be raising the Israeli-Palestinian situation with the American authorities?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The settlements in the West Bank are another aspect of the very oppressive regime in which Palestinians have to live. I drew attention in particular, when I was meeting with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, to the implications of going ahead with the planned settlement in the area known as E1, on the fringes of East Jerusalem, which, if proceeded with, will have the effect of severing the northern part of the West Bank from the southern part and will further complicate the prospects for a two-state solution.

I will not be on Capitol Hill for St. Patrick's day, as the Taoiseach will be visiting Washington. However, I was in the USA two weeks ago, as I mentioned earlier, for work in connection with my role as chair of the OSCE, and also for the investment conference that was convened by President Clinton. While I was in Washington I met the Deputy Secretary of State, Mr. Bill Burns, and had a discussion with him about the Middle East peace process, among other things. I discussed the visit I made to the Middle East with him and the discussions I had with both President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I welcome the Minister's strong words of condemnation of the appalling treatment by Israel of the people of Gaza. Frankly, it is difficult to understand how this State or other states in Europe continue to treat Israel as if it is a normal state when it does this type of thing, yet they impose sanctions on Iran and roundly condemn it. Did the Minister raise the matter of Khader Adnan on his visit and, if not, will he raise it? Khader Adnan has been on hunger strike for 66 days. He is now critically ill and will possibly die in the next few days. He is held in so-called administrative detention, which means imprisonment without trial. He is one of 300 Palestinians, including 180 children under the age of 18 years, who are imprisoned without trial. This is a routine part of the Israeli flouting of human rights when it comes to Palestinians. Will the Minister make a public statement calling on the Israelis to release this man and to end the absolutely despicable practice of administrative detention?

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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I was glad to see the Tánaiste visit Gaza. He has agreed previously in the House that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the main source of problems in the area. Will the Government lobby this year for a little sanity with regard to Iran, given that Israel might be tempted to take advantage of the US election in November? President Obama is probably at a vulnerable point where he is eager to gain the favour of the Israeli lobby, which is very powerful in America, before the election. The Minister will agree that a military strike against Iran would be absolute madness.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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That is a different issue, Deputy.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Deputy Boyd Barrett has a separate question on Khader Adnan. When we reach that question I will expand more fully on the subject but I understand from our officials that an understanding might have been reached in the last few hours, which would include Mr. Adnan ending his hunger strike on the basis of certain understandings he has reached. A supreme court case was due to be heard this morning and, while I do not yet have confirmation of this, I have a note to the effect that progress has been made on the matter. That would be very welcome.

As regards the issue raised by Deputy Wallace, a military strike by anybody on Iran would be disastrous. When I was in Israel there was much speculation in the Israeli press about the possibility of a military strike against Iran. I made it very clear that Ireland would be absolutely opposed to such a strike, and this view is shared in the European Union. I hope the very robust decision of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council to impose sanctions on Iran will receive a positive response from everybody concerned and that no military action will be taken against Iran. In addition, since that decision was taken there are indications that Iran is now showing a greater willingness to engage in negotiations about its nuclear programme. The purpose of imposing sanctions in the first place was to bring Iran to the table to discuss its nuclear programme.