Ref: 10/2012
On 27 January 2012, Mr. Raji Sourani, Director of the Palestinian
Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), met with the Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs
and Trade, Mr. Eamon Gilmore T.D., and an accompanying delegation comprised of:
the Director for International Relations; the Middle East Director; the
Political Director; Representative to the Palestinian Authority designate; and
others. Eng. Jawdat Khoudari and Eng. Ali Abu Shahla participated in the
meeting. Dr. Eyad Sarraj apologized for being unable to attend the meeting for
health reasons.
At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Sourani talked about the
historical relationship between Ireland
and Palestine. He appreciated the role played by the Irish
President in support of the Palestinian legal struggle against Israeli
occupation and appreciated the position taken by Ireland, which is impartial at
political and humanitarian levels. Sourani
further appreciated the support provided by the Irish government to
Palestinians’ right to freedom and independence. In particular, Sourani talked about the Irish
position during the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip that began in late
December 2008. He expressed his own
appreciation and the appreciation of the Palestinian civil society to this
position, noting that Ireland
was the only European
State that voted in favor
of the Goldestone Report in the UN Human Rights Council.
Sourani stressed that Ireland needs to play a leading role regarding
efforts aimed at lifting the illegal closure imposed on the Gaza Strip as there
are no pretexts or justifications for the continuation of this closure
especially after the release of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Sourani urged Ireland
to play an effective role and invite State Parties to the Fourth Geneva
Convention to convene a conference in view of the continued war crimes and the
extensive violations committed by Israel in the occupied Palestinian
territory. He noted that Israel adopts a policy of ethnic cleansing and
continues to implement accelerated settlement activities and activities aimed
at creating a Jewish majority in Jerusalem,
pointing out that such measures contribute to creating new facts on the ground
and a new system of apartheid in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Sourani further reviewed inhumane and degrading measures taken by
the Israeli occupation authorities against around 5,000 Palestinian prisoners detained
in Israeli jails. He noted that the
culmination of these measures was the recent arrest of Speaker of the
Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), Dr. Aziz Dwaik, and other PLC Members,
increasing the number of PLC Members detained in Israeli jails to 27, including
Marwan al-Barghouthi and Ahmed Saadat. Sourani
said that the illegal detention of PLC Speaker, Dr. Aziz Dweik, definitely aims
at destroying the Palestinian reconciliation as Dr. Dwaik is a symbol of the
democratically elected legal leaders. Additionally, Sourani talked about the attack
launched by the Israeli occupation forces on the International Committee of the
Red Cross (ICRC), noting that this attack constitutes one of the specific violations
that the Israeli occupation forces continue to commit across the oPt.
Sourani spoke about the Palestinian reconciliation noting that it
is an inevitable demand and that the wise political will required for the
achievement of the Palestinian reconciliation is present in both the
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Chairman of the Hamas Political
Bureau Khaled Meshal. Sourani noted the division
is an intentional political suicide and represents an institutionalization of
the Palestinian strategic weakness. Sourani
expressed that he is optimistic regarding the coming phase saying that it would
witness practical steps for the Palestinian unity. Sourani called upon the Irish government to recognize
the Palestinian political legitimacy with all of its parties. Democracy cannot
be selective and requires respect for the political will of the Palestinian
people to select their representatives. Sourani
called upon the Irish government to take a leading role in confronting Israeli,
American and European efforts aimed at foiling efforts exerted to achieve the
Palestinian reconciliation.
At the end, Sourani thanked the Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs
and Trade and the accompanying delegation for the continued material and moral
support provided by Ireland
to the Palestinian people. The Irish
Minister stressed that there is a distinctive relationship between the Irish
civil society and the Palestinian civil society, besides the good relationship
between the Irish government and the Palestinian civil society and the
Palestinian civil society organizations, especially PCHR.
For a long time, PCHR has had strong and good relations with a
number of Irish organizations, especially Front Line and Trocaire.
It should be noted that this is the first visit for the Irish
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Mr. Eamon Gilmore T.D. to the Gaza Strip
which has been under closure for over 5 years. According to relevant Irish statements, this
visit aims at witnessing the social and economic impact of the ongoing closure
on the population of the Gaza Strip.
