TRADE SANCTIONS or boycotts of Israel because of its security policies would be futile and counter-productive, Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has told TDs and Senators at Leinster House.
Defending the Government’s approach and his own record, particularly on Gaza, he told the Joint Committee on European Affairs that Ireland’s influence in Israel would be lessened by a policy of bans and boycotts.
“No Irish government has supported a policy of boycotts or sanctions against Israel, and it is absolutely clear that there would be no possibility whatever of obtaining agreement at EU level for such a ban,” Mr Martin said.
Defending his own Middle East stance, he said: “I have been very active, as has the Irish Government over a long period, in speaking frankly and directly to Israel, including strong criticism of many of their policies.
“In doing so, a critical part of the audience I am trying to reach – perhaps the most important part – is public opinion and opinion formers within Israel itself.” He added: “We are trying to persuade Israel to change its policies. It is important for us in doing so to show Israelis that we are open to good relations with them, that we are not inherently hostile or negative, that we genuinely believe we have their best interests at heart.”
Palestinian delegate general Dr Hikmat Ajjuri said he hoped the committee would decide that Israel was “in grave breach” of article 2 of the Euro-Med Agreement with the European Union.
“The indiscriminate nature of the Israeli offensive on Gaza and the great losses prove that the real targets of the Israelis are not ‘extremists’ or their weapons but the will and the resolve of all the Palestinians, in the hope of imposing a unilateral humiliating settlement on them.
“Mr chairman, I believe that these Israeli practices are not at all a reflection of Jewish values but of the Zionist strategy of ethnic cleansing of Palestine since 1948.”
Dr Ajjuri said he doubted that bilateral negotiations would ever produce peace and security “unless determined international pressure is exerted on Israel”.
Israeli ambassador to Ireland Dr Zion Evrony told the committee that equating the Northern Ireland situation with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was “a dangerous exercise”.
He said it was a “misconception” to assume that elements of the peace process could be easily transferred to the Middle East.
“While there are some similarities between these two complex and protracted conflicts, and indeed some lessons can be learned, it is a dangerous exercise to conclude that they are the same, because of their largely different historical, geopolitical and cultural circumstances,” he said.
The situation in Gaza confronted Israel with a “difficult dilemma” because of “the need to maintain a balance between fighting terrorism, protecting Israeli civilians from rocket attacks and upholding human rights”.
“On the one hand, we must allow the supply of food and other essential materials into Gaza to ensure that unnecessary suffering is not caused to the civilians there.
“On the other hand, we must maintain exclusions on the entry of war material into Gaza that can be used to build the infrastructure of terrorism.” There were objections from the committee when Dr Evrony said: “I do not remember, and correct me if I am wrong, this committee criticising Iran for its threat to destroy Israel or for its denial of the Holocaust.”
Committee chairman Bernard Durkan TD (Fine Gael) said the committee was “very upset” that the ambassador did not follow its proceedings more closely. Issues relating to Iran had been raised “repeatedly” by committee members. “Any suggestion that the committee is one-sided or unfair would be strongly rebutted,” he added.
Fianna Fáil TD Michael Mulcahy said: “We take the issue of the Holocaust very, very seriously.”
He appealed to the ambassador: “Let’s not muddy the waters.”