Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for taking this issue. As he might know, 1,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are on hunger strike. The strike is in its 23rd day and has been named "Freedom and Dignity". The prisoners are only accepting water and salt to sustain themselves. The reason why the prisoners are on strike is the continuing brutalisation of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. I include 300 children who are not on hunger strike but who are in the prison population. I will read out the demands of the hunger strikers because they are crucial in terms of why the prisoners are on hunger strike. They include an end to the denial of family visits, the right to pursue higher education while in prison, appropriate medical care and treatment and an end to solitary confinement and detention and imprisonment without charge or trial. The prisoners are subjected to solitary confinement, torture, medical negligence, abuse, withdrawal of phone calls to their family members and violations of their basic human rights.

Over the past 23 days, some of the prisoners have been moved to other jails by the Israeli authorities, which is highly suspect. The Israeli Government has even stated that it is willing to force feed some of the prisoners, which I find unbelievable. I thought this was probably an exaggerated statement but apparently it happened in the 1980s with other Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails. One of the prisoners' leaders, Marwan Barghouti, has been in solitary confinement for the past 23 days, which is quite outrageous. The Israeli Government has refused to negotiate with the prisoners on their demands and refers to the prisoners are terrorists. I would refer to them as political prisoners.

There is growing international solidarity with and support for the prisoners. In general, Ireland has a very good record of showing support for Palestinian rights and statehood. We had a similar situation in the early 1980s with hunger strikers in Northern Ireland so we know what people have to do to demand their rights and the extremes to which they will go to highlight their issue. I am asking the Minister to highlight this issue and summon the Israeli ambassador and tell him to negotiate with the prisoners because it is only a matter of time before some prisoners die.

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The position of Palestinian prisoners jailed by Israel is an issue which Ireland has consistently raised over recent years in our dialogue with Israeli authorities. This has included contacts both here in Ireland and in Israel as well as in our discussions at EU and UN level. Our concerns have related to both the incidence and the conditions of detention. This has included the increased use of administrative detention without trial and our concern that detention is in some cases being used to try to deter activists from engaging in peaceful and legitimate protests against the occupation and related policies. Of course, we must also acknowledge that many Palestinian prisoners, including some now on hunger strike, have been convicted of very serious offences, including involvement in violent attacks.

Issues raised under conditions of detention have included physical conditions, medical issues, legal processes and family visits. It is only fair to recognise that we could express similar or stronger concerns about prisoners in many other jurisdictions in the region as well as in Israel. Within those representations we have made to Israel, there has been a particular focus on detention of children and Ireland raised this question in our intervention at the universal periodic review of Israel at the UN Human Rights Council in 2013. We have also engaged with the Israeli authorities on some specific issues relating to children and there have been some improvements such as the raising of the age at which young persons are treated as adults in the judicial system.

Regarding the current situation, some 1,500 prisoners were reported to have begun a hunger strike on 17 April. We cannot support the use of hunger strikes as a means of exerting pressure. There is a real risk of attitudes hardening on either side leading to tragedy. We do not want to say anything that could add to that risk. We are all aware here, of course, of the danger of a hunger strike leading to increased tensions and clashes on the streets as we have seen in the past. For these reasons, I will not comment on the specific issues which the strikers have raised. However, I would reiterate our essential position, which should be an obvious one, namely, that detained Palestinians should have the same protections and conditions that Israel affords its own citizens when detained. I would also stress that since Palestinian prisoners should under international law be held within their own territory, when Palestinians are being held in Israel, special attention must be given to ensuring that family visits are realistically facilitated.

My Department raised this issue with the Israeli ambassador on 9 May. We also raised it yesterday with the Israeli mission to the EU in Brussels. The EU missions in Palestine, including Ireland's mission, issued a public statement on Saturday concerning the hunger strikes and issues related to conditions of detention and calling on Israel to respect fully the rights of prisoners. I am aware that previous hunger strikes have been resolved allowing a tragic outcome to be avoided. I very much hope that this will also be the case on this occasion. More generally, issues regarding prisoners will continue to be followed closely by my Department.

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The Minister should take sides because these are not ordinary prisoners. Most of them have been incarcerated against their will. As the Minister stated, 300 children, who are not part of the hunger strike, are in Israeli prisons. Palestinian prisoners are subjected to the most inhumane treatment Israel can mete out. If it mirrors what Israel does on larger scale - how it treats Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza and Israel - it is a terrible reflection on the state of Israel. It is important for the Minister to contact the Israeli ambassador and state that he is extremely worried about the ongoing issue of political prisoners in Israel. It is very important that he relays that message. Only recently, it was reported in the news that Ireland bought military drones from the Israeli military. I find it extraordinary that the Irish Government buys military hardware from a country with an appalling human rights record - a horrendous, obnoxious, racist state such as Israel.

The Minister says he is not going to take sides. That is the problem. He needs to take a side. He needs to see that an oppressor is oppressing the Palestinian people. These men are on hunger strike to highlight that they are being brutalised in Israeli jails. I would do the same as them. Out of solidarity not only with Palestinian prisoners but also the Palestinian people, we should tell the Israeli ambassador that this situation needs to be dealt with before people die.

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I will not comment on specific issues which have been raised by the strikers as I do not regard it as appropriate. I assure the Deputy that Ireland will continue to be active on this issue. Officials from my Department yesterday spoke to the Israeli ambassador in respect of this matter.

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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What did he say?

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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We have been active for many years in regard to prisoners' issues. We have raised directly with the Israeli authorities the current situation of the hunger strikers. These contacts are being kept low key. I do not want to do anything that might exacerbate the situation. European Union missions in Palestine, including Ireland's, are aware of the situation and are actively engaged. We have issued a public statement of concern in this regard, in the course of which we have reiterated the call by the European Union for Israel to respect fully international humanitarian law and its human rights obligations towards all prisoners. The detention in prisons in Israel of Palestinians who qualify as protected persons under Article 4 of the Fourth Geneva Convention is in contravention of Article 76 of the convention. Access by family members to the detainees should be facilitated rather than impeded in any way. The heads of mission, including Ireland's, have reiterated their long-standing concern about the extensive use by Israel of what the Deputy has described as administered detention without formal charges.

There are many issues of concern. I assure the Deputy of Ireland's interest in this matter. He mentioned the issue of force-feeding specifically. I am opposed to its use. Israeli doctors' organisations have long said they would refuse to co-operate with force-feeding. I assure the House and the Deputy that Ireland will continue to play a role in this matter.