Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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250. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied) in the West Bank city of Hebron, who has been engaged in non-violent activities against the Israeli occupation for over a decade; and if he will raise the case with his Israeli counterpart. [16970/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the case in question. Irish representatives have discussed the case with this person, and attended his most recent court hearing, along with other EU colleagues. It is my understanding that he wishes his case to proceed to a full trial in order to demonstrate injustices in the system applied to Palestinian activists like himself.

More broadly, the increasing use of legal measures to hinder and prevent peaceful protests against occupation policies is a matter of growing concern, which we have raised both in EU level discussions and directly with Israeli authorities.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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251. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied), the leader of the non-violent Palestinian led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, was arrested by the Israeli authorities only days before travelling to the USA to receive the Gandhi Peace Award; that his arrest includes a travel ban (details supplied); and if he will raise this case with the Israeli authorities. [16971/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The difficulties experienced by this person have been discussed on a number of occasions here in the Dáil, and the European Union has previously made representations on his behalf with the Israeli authorities.

On this occasion he has been arrested on suspicion of tax evasion, and it is a condition of his bail that he remain in the country.

There is growing concern about the increasing use of political and legal pressure in Israel to hinder the work of activists and NGOs who are critical of occupation policies, and in particular advocates of BDS. However, I have no basis on which to query the accusation made in this case. My Department will nonetheless remain alert to the case as it proceeds.