Ireland cannot take unilateral approach to Israel-Hamas war

Some two weeks after the savage attack by Hamas on Israel, people across the world remain in shock at what we are witnessing in Israel and in Gaza. No more so than here in Ireland, where there has been such a longstanding engagement with the issue at political level and within society.

There are urgent priorities that the international community must address immediately, including efforts to avoid a wider regional escalation and addressing the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. Aid has now started to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing; this flow of vital goods needs to be consistent and at scale. Last week, I announced an immediate package of €13 million; €10 million for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and €3 million for UN OCHA’s Palestine Humanitarian Fund. I am actively advocating for other partners to follow this lead.

There is also a deepening realisation that we cannot allow this to happen again. Intensive diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalation and the unconditional release of hostages must also prepare the ground for a long-term political perspective. This will be enormously challenging. It will require all partners in the international community, irrespective of their starting position, to work together in one direction at a moment when tensions have never been higher. As I stated last week, if ever there was a time to reinvigorate the Middle East Peace Process, it is now.

I have been in contact with several important partners since the October 7th attack, including my counterparts in the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, Iran, Egypt, UAE, Qatar and Lebanon. A key message from all was the importance of Ireland’s voice in shaping the response of the international community, including at the UN and within the EU.

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I am acutely aware that Irish people expect the EU to play a more effective and coherent role. This is also the Government’s priority and we have made this clear at the highest political level. The collective position of the EU, as agreed by EU leaders last week, reflects our common approach. This is no accident. Far from hiding behind the EU, as some would have it, Ireland is playing a leadership role in shaping a more cohesive and principled EU position. This is what we have always done, and this is what we will continue to do.

We will also continue to take an assertive and principled stance at the United Nations, both in terms of support for a two-state solution and in calling out actions and policies that take us further from this goal. This was reiterated at the highest political level by the Taoiseach in his address to the UN General Assembly in September. And last December, Ireland voted in favour of the request by the assembly for an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences arising from Israel’s prolonged occupation. We have submitted a comprehensive and meticulously prepared statement to the court, one of only a small number of EU member states to do so. We work hard to anchor the EU’s common position on the conflict and make sure that the conflict remains a focus of the international community.

In a recent opinion piece in this paper, the Government was accused of “yielding to the EU’s acquiescence” over creeping annexation in the West Bank. That is far from the reality. We have been consistently clear, in particular, that Ireland’s resolute opposition to illegal Israeli settlements is firmly grounded in international law. I am concerned that, within our national debate, the Government is repeatedly urged to progress the Occupied Territories Bill. To adopt a unilateral approach that runs contrary to legal advice would undermine Ireland’s clear and principled stance on this issue, as well as our broader promotion of compliance with international law at the UN and other international organisations. Substantive diplomatic efforts are what are needed at this time, not gestures. And not passing legislation that is ultimately unenforceable.

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Ireland’s work at political level is reinforced by our active presence on the ground in the occupied Palestinian territory, including direct engagement with communities affected by settler violence, demolitions and evictions. I also spoke last week of my deep shock that several of Ireland’s partner organisations on the ground have lost colleagues or family members over the past two weeks. That these organisations continue to carry out their roles in such terrible circumstances is truly heroic. Their work will be indispensable as we seek to chart a path through this crisis towards a sustainable peace in the future and providing support to them will remain a central pillar of Ireland’s engagement.

I welcome that a Dáil motion, tabled by the Government last week, enjoyed broad support across the House. It demonstrates a very wide consensus around the steps the Government is taking at this time, both in addressing the immediate crisis, and in charting a pathway back towards a political horizon.

Micheál Martin TD is Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence