Ms Jenn Byrne:

I have two things to add to that. Senator Mullins asked what state recognition would mean. This applies to Deputy Mitchell's question as well. On a Palestinian citizen level, it would mean hope. The fact is that settlement expansion and violence are whittling away at the hope of the Palestinian population and this is leading to a rise in tensions. We have not had an intifada in over a decade and I am getting worried. I know that older members of the population remember the harshness of the second intifada quite well and are afraid of a third one. I know that what we need to give the Palestinian population to relieve tensions is hope. I believe that state recognition is our way of giving them hope. I can tell the committee that after Sweden recognised Palestine recently, there was an upsurge in morale that was observed by EAPPI volunteers. It is something that Ireland could definitely do to make the situation on the ground better for the Palestinian population.