Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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141. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in the Near East’s condemnation of Israel’s punitive demolitions in the Klanadia refugee camp in the occupied West Bank; that Israeli forces demolished two houses there in the middle of the night; that one of the homes belonged to a UNRWA for Palestine refugees in the Near East sanitation labourer; that punitive home demolitions are a form of collective punishment which are illegal under international law; and if he will raise the issue with his Israeli counterpart. [21771/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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My Department is aware of the case in question.

Punitive demolition of the houses of Palestinians who attacked Israelis was a practice previously discontinued by Israel after the security forces concluded it was ineffective as a deterrent. Regrettably, it was resumed on political direction in recent years, principally it would seem to demonstrate that the authorities were taking action . It is in most cases the families of the alleged attacker who are the victims of this punishment. The same measures are not carried out against the families of Israelis who engage in violent attacks.

The wave of violent attacks by some Palestinians in recent months clearly called for some security response, but as I and many other international leaders made clear, it was essential that such response be measured and discriminate. Indiscriminate measures, such as punishing the families of dead attackers, have been shown to be not just unwarranted, but also ineffective and even counterproductive.