Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join in the welcome to the ambassador. I thank him for facilitating a meeting with me recently in which we had a very genuine and straight discussion. I found the meeting very worthwhile and I will raise some of the issues I raised then again today. By way of very quick background, we in this country are acutely aware of the sufferings of the Jewish people historically, and we are also completely in favour of a two-state peace solution. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Chairman, who is a distinguished former Minister for Foreign Affairs, have both sought a two-state solution in the region. That is what we want.

I welcome the recent curbs. I also welcome the postponement of the annexation. However, I must ask about plans in October for 5,000 new settlement homes on the West Bank. Does Israel propose to go ahead with those? If so, does the ambassador not agree with the contention that those homes would be in areas that would go to Palestine in the event of a two-state solution and that that presents a threat to the peace process?

I also wish to ask about the 1,257 housing units in the east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Givat Hamatos, and the proposed construction of the houses on 15 November and tenders being sought for them. The same question arises in regard to them. Does that present the threat of closure of access to Jerusalem from Bethlehem? The ambassador will appreciate that our culture is among the reasons we have always had a great interest in Israel. I welcome our trading balances. In this country we are concerned about the religious sites in the context of those settlements. I also wish to ask about the demolitions and confiscations in those regions and about the situation in Gaza.

We ask these questions as friends. There is no point in having an inane, silly discussion here where we welcome the ambassador and make facile comments. As a friendly nation we need to put these points to the ambassador and to ask him again for a further commitment to the peace process and how he sees it evolving. Does he accept the contention that the continuation of the settlements ultimately threatens the peace process? I see this as an exercise in goodwill. I welcome the talks between Israel and Lebanon and the efforts to reach agreement. Any attempt to achieve peace and any incremental peace is welcome. We just want peace in the Middle East. We are friends of Israel but we also want to know that we will get two states and that we do not discriminate or dehumanise anyone in the process.