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

There is little left to ask but I do wish to take up the issue of the viability of a two-state solution. This has been a policy we have pursued, that all peace attempts have pursued and it has got nowhere. In the past six months, things have deteriorated to the point where people are saying maybe it is not viable. Mr. Costello was talking about the chain, the wall and the settlements. Never mind politically, physically is a two-state solution viable? The Chairman was saying that Hamas will not recognise Israel as a state. The reality is that Israel is already a state. The very fact that one aspires to a two-state solution is a recognition of this. Therefore, that is a dubious justification for not coming to the peace table at all. Irish and EU policy is shifting. They are now looking at recognising the state, or at least using it as leverage to try to bring Israel to the table. Is that a good idea? If we declare a recognition of Palestine, do the witnesses think that this precludes looking at other options if the two-state solution is no longer viable? Should we be looking at power sharing? Would we put the frighteners on Israel to come to the table with other possibilities?