JULY 03 2024
ANNEXATION AND THE WEST BANK
The obligation of Ireland during an unfolding crisis
While the catastrophe in Gaza continues, a crisis unfolds in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Since October 2023, the Israeli military has intensified land incursions from an average 600 raids per month to over 1,000, while restricting access to resources and targeting health facilities. We can understand these activities, among others, as the intent to obtain control of the territory by Israel. This annexation is forbidden in international law.
In a recently leaked recording, Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich described a “dramatic” plan to impose permanent Israeli control over the West Bank “without the government being accused of annexing it.” Ireland, and the international community, must do everything to intervene and prevent this unfolding violation of international law.
DEMOLITIONS
According to the Jewish Voice for Peace Health Advisory Council, 2,155 Palestinians in the West Bank have been displaced since October due to the demolition of 991 structures, 34% of them homes (due to lack of Israeli-issued permits, as punishment, or as part of military activities) while in East Jerusalem, “many Palestinian-owned structures have been demolished for lacking impossible-to-obtain Israeli-issued building permits, displacing 183 people since January 2024.”
SETTLER VIOLENCE
This comes at a time of increased settler violence, setting record highs in the region. “Settlers and soldiers have displaced entire Palestinian communities, destroying every home, with the apparent backing of higher Israeli authorities,” said Bill Van Esveld, Human Rights Watch Associate Children’s Rights Director who states that “while the attention of the world is focused on Gaza, abuses in the West Bank, fueled by decades of impunity and complacency among Israel’s allies, are soaring.”
Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence Report on Demolitions and Displacements in the occupied Palestinian Territory
In April 2021, Sadaka contributed in a series of engagements between the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence and key individuals, organisations and bodies to review the displacement of people and demolition of public and private buildings in the oPt. The Committee heard from Sadaka Chair Éamonn Meehan, that “Israel has no concern for the welfare of those displaced and does not care where they go as long as they move outside of the boundaries of East Jerusalem into one of the towns or cities in the West Bank.”
He went on to further express the view that the objective of the demolition is to create space for settlers to move in to occupy those houses or build additional settlements in those spaces.
The Committee concluded that the “pattern of evictions, demolition orders and displacements are not random but appear to be strategically focused on altering the demography”.
Among a series of recommendations, the Committee advised that Ireland, in addition to issuing statements of condemnation on actions taken by the Israeli authorities, agree a graduated set of proposals and concrete measures domestically, including diplomatic and economic and in conjunction with international organisations and bodies, to apply where further violations and breaches of international law occur in respect of demolitions, evictions, displacements, settlement expansion and de facto annexation.
SADAKA CALLS UPON THE IRISH GOVERNMENT TO IMPLEMENT MEASURES, SUCH AS:
- Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories Bill): Commit to enact the Occupied Territories Bill (2018) as a priority legislative objective.
- Divestment: Build on the NTMA decision to divest the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) from Bank Hapoalim BM, Bank Leumi-le Israel BM, Israel Discount Bank, Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd, First International Bank, and Rami Levi CN Stores, and extend that decision to include divestment from all companies listed on the UN database.
- Military Trade: Cease all military-related trade with Israel including dual use goods which can be used for military purposes.
- UN Database: Adopt a pro-active position in ensuring an annual update of the UN database on business activity in illegal Israeli settlements, including a commitment to budgetary contributions (if required) to ensure the long-term viability of the database.
- Restrictive Measures: The imposition of asset freezes and travel restrictions on individuals who are party to the war crimes of forced displacement and population transfer, settlement building, and annexation of occupied Palestinian territory.
- Apartheid Recognition: Recognise that the crime of apartheid is being committed by Israel against Palestinians.
- UN Committee: Advocate for the re-establishment of the United Nations Special Committee on Apartheid.
- International Criminal Court: Support the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into the situation in Palestine and Israel to hold accountable those responsible for committing war crimes.
- EU Action: At an EU level, advocate for a comprehensive and wide-ranging set of sanctions to be applied by the EU to the state of Israel.
- US Relations: Use all political and diplomatic channels at Ireland’s disposal to exert pressure on the President of the United States to bring about a long-term ceasefire to ensure the safety and security of the Palestinian people.