Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, I raised on the Order of Business the attitude of the Government to the declared statement of the then candidate, Benjamin Netanyahu, on the annexation of the settlements in the West Bank and the declaration of Israeli sovereignty over them. Today, all appearances are that he is going to be the head of the next government with the support of parties of the right and religious parties in the Israeli Knesset. This gambit of his, which may have appeared to some to be a last throw of the dice in order to consolidate his electoral support on the day before an election, is now likely to be endorsed by a majority of the parties in the Knesset. It is of some significance that a member state of the United Nations should ignore all precepts of international law and all of the previous resolutions of the United National in terms of this matter, and should now purport to steal territory which was never part of the State of Israel, as recognised internationally, and appropriate it on the basis of just simple conquest from the people of Palestine.

When looks back at the history of this matter it becomes so clear that if there is any chance of there being peace in the Middle East in the long term, whether it is the Camp David Accords, something like that or something different, one thing is absolutely certain that there is no chance of peace based on the proposition that all the settlements "authorised" and "unauthorised" are now to be adopted as the sovereign territory of Israel. It means, effectively, that the West Bank is being dismembered and made ungovernable and the possibility of a Palestinian state is being swept away.

I mention this simply to say the following. It is important that voices are raised against this. It is important that voices are raised against this without the ridiculous charge of anti-Semitism being thrown in our faces. I have indicated on a number of occasions, and I reiterate now, that I believe in the right of the Israeli State to exist. I believe in the right of the Israeli State to defend itself. I have absolutely no anti-Semitic intent at all. I know that the views that I am expressing now are supported by a considerable number of people in Israel, so the charge of anti-Semitism simply does not stand. In those circumstances, the Irish Government should become more courageous in standing up for what we believe in. We should become more vocal. The Bill that we passed on settlement goods was not an affront to international law. It was condemned roundly by Prime Minister Netanyahu and he dubbed it anti-Semitic-----