Dr. Bernard Sabella:

I will answer Deputy Smith first.

On the question of recognition, I feel that Europe should do more. We get frustrated because we feel that Europe is a supporter, financially and politically, of the Palestinian cause, not because there is any love between Europe and Palestine but because there is an interest in finding a solution to the problem between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Recognition could be an excellent way of putting pressure on Israel to end the political impasse. As mentioned, as long as the political impasse continues a two-state solution will not be possible. There are people who would argue that a two-state solution is no longer possible. If the Israelis are ready and willing to give us equal voting rights, then we, as Palestinians, will support a one-state solution. However, we will not agree to a so-called security controlled system to control Palestinians at all times. In the long run, control will not work. It will lead only to a repeat of these cycles of violence every three or four years. In other words, we would live ten years in relative quiet and calm but this would then be followed by a cycle of violence which lasts for two or three years and so on, while the Israelis continue to expand their settlements. There can be no two-state solution. Therefore, recognition by Europe of a Palestinian State - I speak in this regard of recognition not only of parliaments but of governments - could be a way forward. We cannot continue as we are.

I subscribe to Deputy Durkan's suggestion in regard to the establishment of an independent body through which the UN, US and EU could bring pressure to bear to stop this political vacuum and get things moving. The only way to halt the violence is to return to political negotiations. Israel needs to agree to stop expansion of its settlements and to return to political negotiations. We are not asking for anything that is above and beyond the ability of Israel to deliver on but it does not wish to do so. Therein lies the problem. Israel also needs to respect the integrity and sanctity of the holy sites. My colleagues in the Palestinian Parliament often quote the violence against the church in Tiberias, which, I think, is run by the German Dominicans or another religious order. Two Israeli Messianic Jewish youngsters burned down that church. We must respect the integrity of each other's holy places. If we do not do that we play with fire, and we play with fire internally. The situation then escalates into confrontation between the two states.

There have been no legal cases against those who committed extrajudicial killings. This situation is further complicated by the fact that social media has been instrumental in illustrating the criminality in some of these cases of extrajudicial killings. People are affected by this. During a recent visit to Bethlehem a taxi driver, who was approximately 25 years old, told me that on the previous night the Israelis went into a hospital in Hebron and killed the cousin of a person they sought to arrest, who was injured and being treated in the hospital. The taxi driver, who had never finished high school, asked me if it was acceptable to the world community that Israeli people could go into a hospital to arrest an injured person being treated in that hospital and in the process kill his cousin? The scenes of that arrest and killing were shown on Facebook. I have seen them. This type of activity heightens emotions.

Israel needs to also respect basic international human rights obligations. It cannot hide behind the argument of terror. The question of recognition is more important now as we are all fighting the terror that is ISIS. Islamic State, or what in Arabic we call, Daesh, is a threat to all of us. Whether or not Europe believes it, we have shared values. For example, Christians and Muslims in Palestine have lived together for years. They have attended school together and have worked together in hospitals, government offices and in the Palestinian Parliament. We share the views of an Islam that is open and tolerant and acknowledges others. In my view, it is important that Europe, in its fight against terror, also recognises that the Palestinian issue, in terms of friction and conflict, exists not only in the Middle East but worldwide. We share with Europe the will to fight terror. We are against terror. That is the position of all in the Palestinian Legislative Council.

We are hoping to have elections but elections in Palestine are not like elections in Ireland. I understand the next election in Ireland will take place in March. I wish everybody good luck. In Palestine, issues that must be factored into the holding of elections include whether Israel would allow us to hold an election, if Hamas, our rivals in Gaza would participate in the elections or even agree to them, or if the current situation of conflict and confrontation would allow for the holding of the elections. There are many issues arising that make it difficult for us to hold elections. Any decision in that regard will not be one for Palestine alone. I was elected in 2006, when I won one of two Christian seats for the city of Jerusalem. I was supposed to finish my tenure as a parliamentarian four years later in 2010 but I am still there five years later.

It is not acceptable to me and to most of my colleagues in the Palestinian Parliament. We are anxious to go forward and hand responsibility to the younger generation. We have a problem in that regard.

On the question of transparency and NGOs, unfortunately some in the Israeli Government wish to use the transparency argument to control NGOs, even Israeli NGOs, that call for a political solution and support non-violent means and measures, such as boycotting settlement products