Seanad debates
Thursday, 22 October 2020
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Middle East
10:30 am
Barry Ward (Fine Gael)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus gabhaim buíochas leis as an am a thabhairt dom ar an ábhar seo.
I raise the issue of demolitions in the West Bank, which have been ongoing for years, by Israeli authorities of Palestinian facilities such as homes and businesses. These matters have continued unabated. It is estimated that in 2019, some 624 Palestinian-owned structures were demolished. That is the number of structures but, of course, the number of people displaced by that is very significant. It is probably between 700 and 1,000 people, families and children who were displaced. It has continued this year during which, it is estimated, there have been 554 demolitions. On 31 August, 107 homes and 46 retail units were demolished in east Jerusalem, while at the end of last month, four homes in the West Bank were demolished, so this is continuing.
As to why this happens, there are a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is just a feature of occupation and, undoubtedly, this kind of intervention has been a feature of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. Sometimes it is punitive and involves military installations or military activity, but more often than not, it involves the failure of a Palestinian business, family or community to get a permit for the building. That is kind of a nonsense because, as I understand it, in the period 2016 to 2018, there were 1,485 applications for such permits, 21 of which were granted, and that refers only to Area C in the West Bank, which is controlled by the Palestinian authorities alone. As has been acknowledged, it should be for the Palestinian authorities only to grant those permits.
There is no doubt this activity by the Israeli authorities is illegal under international law and the Geneva Convention. It is recognised as such not just by Palestinian organisations and non-governmental human rights organisations but by transnational organisations such as the European Union and by the Government, yet it continues unabated. In the same time that those 21 permits were granted, between 2016 and 2018, 6,000 Israeli settlement houses were built in the same area, Area C. That is what we are dealing with.
The reason I have raised this matter with the Minister of State is that many of these structures are built with the aid of the Irish taxpayer and the European taxpayer. The European Union funds it, as does Irish Aid. It is estimated that since May 2016, according to a statement by Federica Mogherini, the foreign policy chief of the European Union, €329,000 worth of European taxpayers' money has been demolished by Israeli authorities, while another €2.4 million of property is subject to demolition. This is a major problem. Irish Aid gave €15 million to Palestine in 2008 and we contributed €9 million to the UN Relief and Works Agency. As a group of taxpayers, therefore, we are contributing to this. We are doing the right thing, yet a national organisation is doing the wrong thing. It is doing something illegal and what everyone recognises is against international law and its obligations.I would like the Minister of State to tell the House what the Government is doing about it. What steps have we taken, diplomatically or otherwise, to ensure that Israel understands our chagrin at this kind of behaviour and our dissatisfaction with its behaviour? What are we doing to stop it? What are we doing to send a message to Israel that we will not tolerate this waste of our taxpayers' money and of European taxpayers' money and, most of all, this gross violation of basic humanitarian behaviour?
Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Tá áthas orm a bheith anseo chun an t-ábhar tábhachtach seo a phlé sa Seanad. Senator Ward raises extremely serious concerns that are being raised by many other colleagues, and I am delighted he has taken the opportunity this morning to raise them again.
The demolition of Palestinian homes and the demolition or seizure of structures, including schools, is cruel and unjust. These practices cause suffering to ordinary Palestinians and impinge on the right of children to an education. Demolitions and seizures of Palestinian property and humanitarian aid, including Palestinian homes, have continued despite previous commitments from Israeli authorities not to target Palestinian residential structures during this pandemic. The only conclusion we can draw from the systematic nature of these policies, especially in areas where illegal Israeli settlements have already been constructed, is that they are aimed at forcing Palestinians off their land. In addition to its human impact, this activity undermines the feasibility of a two-state solution.
Ireland has conveyed our views on these actions to the Israeli authorities. In a statement last Friday the Minister for Foreign Affairs called on Israel to halt demolitions and to allow for legal construction for Palestinian residents. Our ambassador in Tel Aviv has raised the issue of demolitions with the Israeli authorities in recent weeks along with a group of EU and non-EU colleagues. Our representative in Ramallah remains engaged on this issue and regularly undertakes visits to sites affected by demolitions. I understand that today the representative is due to take part in a visit by EU and other like-minded countries to a West Bank area threatened by demolitions. Ireland is committed to reducing the vulnerability of Palestinian communities living in Area C of the West Bank. Ireland is a member of the West Bank Protection Consortium, which plays a leading role in supporting threatened communities and co-ordinating the provision of essential services to them, including material assistance and legal aid.
It is of additional concern - and the Senator rightly highlights this - when the structures confiscated or demolished are donor-funded. The practice of demolition and confiscation of humanitarian assets, including education and schools infrastructure, is contrary to Israel's obligations under international law, including the provisions of international humanitarian law, in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention. Our principal concern is the hardship and injustice that demolitions and confiscations cause for Palestinian families. It is important also, however, that the question of recompense for humanitarian relief funded by our taxpayers, as Senator Ward rightly said, should be pursued. Ireland, together with a group of EU member states, pursues this issue consistently through the West Bank Protection Consortium. It is the practice of the consortium to raise this directly with the Israeli authorities. To date, the consortium has sought compensation of more than €625,000 in respect of confiscated or demolished assets. Ireland will continue to engage on these matters and will continue our support for a peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a negotiated two-state solution.
Barry Ward (Fine Gael)
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I am glad to hear the terms the Minister of State used in his response. I know he and the Minister, Deputy Coveney, have a strong record of calling out this kind of behaviour. I am also particularly glad to hear him use the word "recompense" because, as I said, while there is a massive humanitarian issue here, there is also a simple breach of international law. There is also the fact that we are giving money to Palestine and it is being essentially destroyed or wasted by Israel. I hope the Minister of State can also give us a commitment that Israel's behaviour will not interfere with the Irish policy, including aid policy, to continue to support Palestinian communities and the Palestinians in the West Bank who are suffering as a result of this Israeli behaviour.
Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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It is worth noting that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the former Minister, Brian Lenihan Snr., being the first foreign minister of a western state to recognise the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. Ireland has a really strong record on this, including among Members of the Oireachtas, who constantly raise the issues faced by the Palestinian people.We express our deep concern at recent demolition and confiscation of properties, including in Hebron. Our clear position on the settlements and our concern at the recent announcement by Israeli authorities for nearly 5,000 additional housing units bears restating. Settlements are illegal and in contravention of international law. Our position is underpinned by a long series of UN Security Council Resolutions. Ireland has been forthright on these matters, publicly and privately, and indeed over many years. That sentiment is shared right across the Houses of the Oireachtas. Ireland's long-standing support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, annunciated 40 years ago this year by former Minister for Foreign Affairs, the late Brian Lenihan Snr., remains an integral aspect of our foreign policy. We remain steadfast in our support for a comprehensive two-state solution, which protects the future of the Palestinian and Israeli people.
Ireland is a strong and consistent voice on these issues in EU discussions. We will continue to prioritise the Middle East peace process, particularly when we take up our seat on the UN Security Council, and we will do whatever we can in that role to advance efforts towards and just and lasting peace. We will continue to support all credible efforts to resume negotiations and to advance the Middle East peace process.