Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to thank the Minister for his presentation. No doubt he has been extremely busy in the past six months, just as busy as he was during our Presidency. There is no sign of a let up in the next six months.

Most of the points have been made, but I want to go back to the Palestinian issue. Others have mentioned it and I am sure the Minister is aware of the tightening of the blockade around Gaza and of the huge human misery this is causing because of the limited access to any form of power. As described by a UN commissioner, the situation has deteriorated to a state where Gaza is virtually uninhabitable.

It is approaching that situation now. The fact that there are talks going on does not mean the Israelis should be immune from criticism. There is a major humanitarian crisis emerging there yet again. As Deputy O'Sullivan said, at the least there should be humanitarian access to Gaza.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank and elsewhere the settlement programme is expanding with greater levels of violence, apparently. I appreciate what the Tánaiste has said about the talks and that they must go ahead. However, the Israelis should be left in no doubt that if they think this is upping the ante in their favour or that it will somehow improve their negotiating position, then they should be disabused of that opinion. Unfortunately, I do not believe they want that or that it is their aim. As the Tánaiste said, what they are doing is totally undermining the talks. It is altogether counter-productive for anyone who wants a two-state settlement. Perhaps that is exactly the outcome they want. Perhaps they want to undermine the talks.

The Israelis are given support in the sense that, apparently, they appear to be immune to any criticism or international opprobrium, much less international sanctions. Inevitably, this gives them the idea that they can continue to do what they like to the Palestinians. I was reading about the EU research grant. There was a gesture made that perhaps the Union might not give it to firms in settlement areas. The outcome was farcical. It was nothing more than a gesture against the idea of the settlement policy of the Israelis. The trouble is that we are constantly making gestures with no follow-through, with the result that the settlements continue to expand. As the Tánaiste said, time is running out for a two-state solution, if it has not already run out.

The Tánaiste should let no opportunity pass to let the Israelis know what we think of their policies, especially the position in Gaza where people have been living in misery for years. I am unsure what the Israelis hope to achieve by squeezing Gaza almost to death but we cannot stand by and simply watch it happen.