Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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46. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to reports that Israeli forces disguised as Palestinian students entered Birzeit University in the occupied West Bank of Palestine and abducted the head of the university's student council on 7 March 2018 (details supplied); if he will speak out against this operation and aggression; and if he will contact his Israeli counterpart to protest same. [12600/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the incident in question, which is certainly a disquieting one.

I am aware of course that Israel has to contend with very real security threats. Ireland cannot raise every individual action of concern that takes place in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, not least in a case such as this, where I have no information on what was the basis for arrest of the individual concerned.

However, this type of heavy-handed security operation, which does not generally accompany arrests made in the State of Israel, underlines why Ireland gives such a high priority to efforts to bring about an end to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, and to the occupation.

As is regularly reported to the Oireachtas, Ireland does of course frequently make known to the Israeli authorities our concerns about the ongoing occupation of the Palestinian Territory . We also highlight the very many ways in which the conduct of the occupation affects the Palestinian people, frequently in contravention of their rights. My Department and I shall continue to raise these issues at appropriate opportunities.