Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

833. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will heed the call for action in Palestine's Call, the open letter recently sent to all Oireachtas Members from Palestine civil and political society; the action he will take; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24572/16]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Like other Deputies, I myself received a copy of the letter referred to, which appears to have been drawn up by the Irish NGO concerned, and then Palestinian signatories gathered. The Government remains active and engaged on the objective of trying to achieve a two state solution in the Middle East, including a fully sovereign and free Palestinian state. There are few western countries as consistently engaged on this issue as Ireland. I have worked continuously to try and maintain the problems of Palestine on the EU and international agenda, despite a wave of concurrent crises in the immediate neighbourhood, and have urged stronger international actions. We will continue to do so. I have myself recently conducted my second extensive visit to the area in just over a year, meeting the parties and trying to urge them to move forward.

Ireland is also engaged on the ground in trying to combat the effects of the occupation, both through our own humanitarian work and through our support of local NGOs engaged on justice and human rights work, a number of whom are among the signatories of this letter.

I fully share the frustration of the signatories, of Deputies in the House, and of others, that the process has been completely stalled in recent years, and that there is not a stronger international will to drive it forward. I have therefore given the Government’s full support to the current efforts by France to do just that.

The letter, and the Questions posed by Deputies, make particular reference to the call for trade sanctions upon Israel. We have discussed this question on many occasions here in the House, and also with this NGO and elsewhere. The essential point remains unchanged: I am opposed to sanctions and, in any event, there is no possibility of obtaining any support for such sanctions at EU level, which is where they would have to be implemented. I have, however, been an advocate of measures which differentiate clearly between Israel and the illegally occupied settlements. These include the guidelines adopted on research co-operation which exclude entities based in the settlements from benefitting from funding under the EU-Israel research agreement, and on origin of products to ensure that consumers are not misled as to the provenance of any products emanating from the settlements.