Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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80. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline the engagement that Ireland's representatives on the UN Security Council have had regarding Palestine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13669/23]

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Tánaiste outline the engagement that Ireland's representative on the UN Security Council has had regarding Palestine? It is fair to say that even we just look at it from the 1990s, particularly in the past while, that we have seen Israel move in a right-wing direction. We know the demographics have changed. We know that on some level, there is no degree of cover by the Israeli Government at this point. We need to put pressure on. We would like to work with others but there is an element of having to use what tools we have to put pressure on the Israeli state.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for the question. As the Deputy is aware, Ireland completed its term on the UN Security Council at the end of 2022. During the term, the Middle East peace process was a key priority for Ireland. The United Nations Security Council discusses the situation monthly, and Ireland used these opportunities to underscore the importance we attach to the effort to secure a just and lasting peace. While there is significant divergence of policy on this file among the Security Council members, Ireland nevertheless spoke with a consistent voice for our principled position on the issue. In particular, we emphasised the importance of adherence to international law and international humanitarian law. Ireland advocated for the international community to help create the circumstances where the parties could return to a peace process.

Throughout our term, Ireland supported a range of initiatives aimed at furthering progress on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For instance, in June last year, Ireland co-chaired a meeting of the UN Security Council’s informal expert group on women, peace, and security, which discussed for the first time the situation of women in the occupied Palestinian territory. Following the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, Ireland organised an informal meeting at the UN Security Council on the protection of journalists. Our engagement at the council also focused on illegal settlement expansion. In December, our last month on the council, Ireland repeated our call to Israel to immediately cease all settlement activity, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2334. Ireland also highlighted that 2022 was the deadliest year for Palestinians living in the West Bank since the United Nations began recording fatalities in 2005. We led a joint press statement with a number of other council members, noting this tragic milestone and called for timely, transparent, and independent investigations into all civilian casualties.

Although Ireland is no longer a member of the Security Council, the Middle East peace process will remain a priority for us at the United Nations more broadly. I met the United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres,while I was in New York last week and confirmed to him Ireland's commitment to uphold international law and to continue to support a negotiated solution.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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The Tánaiste spoke about the fact that we highlighted many issues, which, to be clear, include illegal settlement activity and a murderous campaign against Palestinians by the Israeli Government. We have seen the recent moves and the repeal of the 2005 law on dismantling further illegal settlements in the northern West Bank. I do not think Israel really cares about putting up any sort of front about what it is doing at this point. Netanyahu's Government seems to be far more right wing than ones I would have considered to be beyond right wing. We would love if we could deal with friendly countries, whether in Europe or internationally, on taking concerted action to make sure Israel understands that this is not acceptable, to put it on the back foot internationally to a certain extent and to give it the pariah state status it should have. We need action and some of that will happen at state level.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am conscious that there is general consensus in the House about having a two-state solution and of the concern that Members have about this particular Israeli Government, with its very-far-right members who are articulating-----

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Racist.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----outrageous and racist comments in respect of Palestinians which, in themselves, represent an incitement to attacks on Palestinians and almost an endorsement of what happened in Huwara with the appalling attacks on Palestinian citizens there. The strategic approach has to involve working with those in the neighbourhood in the first instance who are endeavouring to de-escalate and to see if, internationally, we can put pressure on Israel to get back to a two-state solution, and then to use any other measure that we can at international forums, such as our decision to support the referral for an advisory opinion on Israel's behaviour in respect of the International Court of Justice. It was not well-received by Israel but we have been prominent on this issue.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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The Tánaiste will get a chance to come back in.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Those are strong words on the fact that Israel is involved in racist action. The question has been put to the Tánaiste before of whether he sees Israel as being an apartheid state, as it is seen by many in the international community at this point. Apartheid South Africa was put under severe pressure by becoming a pariah state. International action was taken against it. It looks like, for many reasons, there will be a requirement of individual states to be brave. We have a general agreement on the fact that there should be a two-state solution and that Israel is absolutely wrong in how it deals with the Palestinian people. We need to make a stand. We need to look at recognition of the Palestinian state. Beyond that, we have to look at some means of operating the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018. This is a Bill that the Tánaiste's party sponsored on Second Stage not so long ago.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland plays a leadership role at European Union level in taking a consistent, clear, firm position on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. I work closely with EU partners to ensure that the Israeli and Palestinian conflict remains central to the EU's foreign policy. At the Foreign Affairs Council on 23 January, EU foreign ministers had an exchange with the Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammad Shtayyeh, and Palestinian foreign minister, Dr. Riyad al-Maliki. We gave them the opportunity to brief EU ministers on the up-to-date situation. That resulted in the commitment that we pushed, with other like-minded states, to set up a high-level political dialogue between the European Union and Palestinian Authority. The Foreign Affairs Council discussed the issue again yesterday. The EU issued a joint statement, which is encouraging, on behalf of all member states on recent developments in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, which stated unambiguously that Israel must stop settlement expansion, prevent settler violence and ensure the perpetrators are held to account. The best way forward is to try to build a critical mass within the EU and internationally. It is easy to take a brave stand independently but we have to ask whether it has an impact.