Irish parliament denounces Israeli policies in West Bank

Ireland’s parliament has passed a motion describing Israeli settlements and or policies in occupied West Bank as “de facto annexation’’ - some of strongest langu ever offered by a European Union nation on issue.

motion passed Wednesday by Dail, lower house of Ireland’s parliament, condemned “recent and ongoing forced displacement of Palestinian communities in occupied Palestinian territory.” Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said motion conveys Ireland's concern that Israel’s actions are undermining prospects for a two-state solution to Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

“We need to speak truth,’’ Coveney tweeted Thursday. “ scale, pace & strategic nature of Israel’s actions on settlements, demolitions & evictions is de facto annexation.’’

Israel's Foreign Ministry rejected what it described as Ireland’s “outrous and baseless” position on Israeli settlements. It said parliamentary motion “constitutes a victory for extremist Palestinian factions."

Irish lawmakers approved motion less than a week after Israel and militant Hamas group ruling Gaza agreed to an informal cease-fire ending an 11-day war that left more than 250 people dead — vast majority Palestinians.

Israel captured east Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza Strip in a 1967 war, territories Palestinians want for a future state. It withdrew soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005 but has consolidated its control over West Bank, w home to nearly 500,000 Jewish settlers.

Palestinians view settlements as a violation of international law and a major obstacle to peace, a position with wide international support. re have been substantive peace talks in more than a decade, leading Palestinians and many rights groups to describe Israel's control of West Bank as de facto annexation.

Israel views West Bank as historical and biblical heartland of Jewish people. Plans to formally annex up to a third of West Bank enjoyed wide support in Israel but were put on hold last year after a U.S.-brokered rmalization agreement with United Arab Emirates.

Irish motion, put forward by opposition party Sinn Fein, received cross-party support.

“Illegal land grabs, annexation of Palestinian land & homes has been called out by Dail (Parliament) in Dublin,’’ Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said on Twitter. “ motion tabled by @sinnfeinireland & supported by all must mark new assertive, consistent confrontation of Israeli crimes against Palestine.”

In a separate development, Israel summoned French ambassador Thursday to protest recent remarks by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in which he warned of “aparid” if progress is t made on a two-state solution.

In an interview Sunday with France’s LCI television, Le Drian said recent round of fighting “showed urgency of finding a political process.”

“ risk of aparid is strong if we continue to follow a logic of one state, or of status quo," he said, adding that idea of a two-state solution "is starting to disappear.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said those remarks were “unacceptable and distort reality."

“Israel is a democratic country that upholds rule of law, and I unequivocally reject any attempt to undermine se facts and foundations of State of Israel,” Ashkenazi said.

Israeli human rights group B'Tselem and New York-based Human Rights Watch each released reports earlier this year saying Israel was practicing aparid in occupied territories and within its own borders by systematically denying Palestinians equal rights. Israel rejected characterizations and said it treats its Jewish and Arab citizens equally.