Following warm welcome in Palestine, Tánaiste strikes pessimistic tone on prospects for peace

The roads were worse but the welcome was considerably warmer on the second day of Micheál Martin’s visit to the Middle East when he visited the beleaguered Palestinian controlled territories.

The previous day, during the Israeli leg of the trip, the Irish delegation received a sometimes cool reception from their hosts in Jerusalem. This was no doubt a result of the Tánaiste’s criticisms of Israeli settler violence, as well as a general perception in the country that Ireland gives Palestinians a free pass when it comes to condemning attacks.

In contrast, during his visit on Wednesday to Palestinian controlled territory in the West Bank, Martin was repeatedly thanked for his support and presented with armfuls of gifts.

This is perhaps to be expected, given that the Palestinian Authority which, in theory, governs the West Bank, receives large amounts of funding from Irish Aid, particularly in the area of education.

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That funding was visible during the first visit of the day when Martin arrived at a technical school for girls and young women in Ramallah. A honour guard, made up of young students, greeted the Tánaiste and he took time to speak to each one before going inside to see what Irish money is paying for.

Students were taking classes in coding, hairdressing and dressmaking, skills which may provide a chance at employment in an area where over 80 per cent of women are unemployed.

The Irish delegation was warmly welcomed by the students who seemed entirely unfazed by the dignitaries’ presence. One girl explained that delegations of European Union officials are a regular occurrence.

Education was vital in bringing Ireland out of economic stagnation and it will serve the same purpose in Palestine, Martin told officials on the top floor of the school, which serves as a mock hotel and restaurant where students study hospitality

It wasn’t all pleasantries, however. At a visit to the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority, Martin laid a wreath at the tomb of its late leader Yasser Arafat before meeting his successor, the 87-year-old Mahmoud Abbas.

The Tánaiste pressed Abbas on the delay in holding elections in Palestine, which haven’t happened since since 2006. “That means people in their early thirties have not voted for their representatives for the Palestinian authorities. That is not good and not acceptable,” Martin said later.

Not for the first time on this trip, he found a reason to bring up the Northern Ireland peace process. “I said to president Abbas that there are times when you have to take risks in terms of the pursuit of peace.”

Briefings followed from United Nations office for the co-ordination of humanitarian affairs and Palestinian charities supported by Ireland. The news was almost universally bad. While standing on the historic Mount Scopus in East Jerusalem, Martin was told the number of Palestinians killed by Israelis in the first half of 2023 was two and a half times higher at 174 than in the same period last year.

There has also been a marked increase in the demolition of Palestinian homes by Israeli forces. Israel maintains these homes were built without permits. The UN points out that 99 per cent of Palestinian permit applications are denied and that the demolition of their homes is a calculated punishment.

In the distance, the hills of Jordan, the next stop of Martin’s tour, were just about visible in the haze. Before departing Israel, he struck a pessimistic note.

[ Elections must be held soon in Palestine, Tánaiste tells Abbas ]

He spoke about meeting Israeli Rami Elhanan and Palestinian Bassam Aramin, two men who each lost a daughter to violence and whose stories were dramatised in the Colum McCann novel Apeirogon. They’re part of the Parents Circle-Families Forum, which tours schools encouraging dialogue and reconciliation.

“Even they’re finding themselves coming under pressure going into schools,” said Martin. “It seems authorities don’t want that message disseminated too widely.”