Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the ambassador and thank him for his comprehensive presentation. He stated that the Middle East is an extremely complex area. I sometimes wonder, and I am not sure the ambassador will respond to this, if it would be a better and more peaceful world if the powerful countries in the west took their noses out of the Middle East and allowed the Middle East to find its own equilibrium.

The ambassador rightly pointed out that Covid-19 respects no borders. Will he outline how Israel proposes to support the Palestinian people as we go through a vaccination programme? Will it take a proactive role in that and in providing the vaccines and the facilities? We know that very specialised facilities are required for the vaccine.

I welcome the recent accord with Bahrain. It is the beginning of the peace we would all like to see in the Middle East.

I note the ambassador's comments on Iran. I am concerned that the involvement of the United States in the Middle East serves to aggravate the Iranian people. My view of people, whether they are in Israel or Iran-----