Trócaire welcomes the Irish government's move to give €11.4 million in aid over the next three years to Palestinian refugees during the recent visit of Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern to the Middle East.
We have worked in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) since 2002 in response to the increased levels of military confrontation and restrictions on the movement of Palestinians imposed by the Israeli army. Since then, we have worked with a number of Israeli and Palestinian groups who speak out against injustice and tackle poverty.
We are working to ensure that both Israel and Palestine follow international humanitarian law so the humanitarian crisis facing people, particularly Palestinians, can be dealt with. We are also working to promote peace building.
Eoin Murray, our Palestinian Programme Officer who is currently in Bethlehem, says the Separation Wall built by the Israelis is making life almost impossible for the estimated 850,000 Palestinians affected by it.
The huge Wall - an 8-metre high fence in open country and a concrete wall in city areas - is driving small farmers, workers and business people into poverty, Eoin says. "It deprives people of work, incomes, education and health care. The permit system operated by Israel makes everyday living extremely hard," he says.
The Wall criss-crosses the bulk of the West Bank territory, encircles some Israeli settlements and adds to huge unemployment. Israel's Supreme Court is adjudicating disputes on the Wall on the basis that it impinges on people's human rights.
Voices for Peace, a book we partly funded, tells the stories of Palestinians and Israelis who are seeking peace.
To contact Trócaire's press team:
Republic of Ireland: Catherine Ginty, Press Officer, Trócaire. T: +353 1 505 3270, M: 086 629 3994
Northern Ireland & UK: David O'Hare, Press Officer, Trócaire. T: 028 90 80 80 30, M: +44 7900053884