Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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Question 59: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the fact that the Israeli army plans to forcibly evict and relocate some 2,300 persons, a majority of which are Jahalin Bedouin, from their homes in the area of the Ma'ale Adumim settlement bloc in the occupied West Bank, that the civil administration's plans call for them to be relocated to a site next to a large landfill rubbish dump near the Palestinian town of Abu Dis, that the dump receives up to 1,100 tons of rubbish per day, most of it from Jerusalem, that communities have not been consulted in this decision and oppose being removed from their homes, that the Israeli army has previously stated their intention to start this process in early 2012 and many demolition orders have been issued already, that according to Amnesty International in some areas more than 90% of homes and other structures are at risk of demolition, including two schools, one in Khan al-Ahmar and one in Wadi Abu Hindi, that children stand to lose access to education in this way and children also constitute up to two-thirds of the residents targeted for displacement; and if he will make known to the Israeli government his opposition to these acts. [31029/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I am deeply aware of the threats hanging over these Bedouin communities. I have made clear directly to the Israeli authorities my opposition to these threatened relocations. During my visit to the region last January, I visited the affected communities in order to demonstrate my support for them. I was therefore glad to learn shortly afterwards that the immediate threat of eviction had eased somewhat as the Israeli military authorities pulled back in the face of international attention. I am conscious, however, that this is only a temporary respite: the eviction and demolition orders remain in place, and indeed additional such orders have been issued this month. It is still planned that the villagers should be forcibly relocated and that their homes – some of which were provided as emergency housing by NGOs – and schools should be demolished. The designated area for their relocation, I should add, is still the area adjacent to a landfill site. These communities, comprising some of the poorest, most vulnerable and most powerless people within the Occupied Palestinian Territory, are being treated in this way so as to clear space for the further expansion of illegal settlements. These settlements are well resourced and politically supported by the Israeli state. Settlers have also physically attacked the communities and damaged their water supplies. These policies are clearly unjust, contrary to international law and openly discriminatory. They demonstrate all too well why the continuing settlement enterprise is incompatible with the achievement of peace in the region, as I have consistently argued.

In addition to my personal engagement with the Israeli authorities on these illegal practices, I have directed the attention of the EU and the wider international community to this issue, which was dealt with in Conclusions reached by the EU's Foreign Affairs Council at its May meeting. Ireland also supports NGOs and others who are helping these communities to fight these measures through the courts. The communities have had some success in this regard, though the overall legal environment under the occupation is unfavourable to the Palestinian inhabitants. Irish diplomatic missions in the region, with those of our EU partners, are also actively monitoring these injustices on the ground.