Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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371. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is concerned in relation to the continuous silencing of critical voices regarding the Palestinian struggle for justice, in the name of combating antisemitism; his views on whether these efforts infringe on freedom of expression and the right to be informed; his views on whether antisemitism, which does exist, is being used to try to silence Palestinian political consciousness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51243/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland strongly condemns all forms of racial discrimination, religious intolerance, including antisemitism, and hate speech based on the fundamental principles of human rights. Ireland is a signatory of the Stockholm Declaration of the International Forum on the Holocaust, and is a member of the Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. In October 2021, Ireland co-signed a Joint Statement on Combating Antisemitism at the 48th Session of the Human Rights Council, along with all other EU member states. At the 51st Session of the Human Rights Council, Ireland joined a cross-regional statement on Combatting Antisemitism and Online Hatred.

Support for the Palestinian people, or criticism of the Israeli occupation, is not something that can or should be equated with antisemitism. Criticism of Israeli Government policy is not in itself anti-Semitic, and to conflate these things is counter-productive, and potentially damaging.

More broadly, Ireland consistently underlines the importance of maintaining space for civil society in the occupied Palestinian territory. We are alarmed by the shrinking of civil society space, which we have raised recently at UN Security Council and UN Human Rights Council. Civil Society Organisations and human rights defenders play a critical role in promoting international law, peace, human rights and democratic values. In this context, I remain seriously concerned by the designation by Israel of six Palestinian NGOs as terrorist organisations, including Irish Aid and EU partner organisations, as terrorist entities. Ireland, along with several other partners providing support to the organisations, has made its views clearly known to Israel, including as regards the unacceptability of the raids carried out on these organisations in August.