Dr. Scott Fitzsimmons:

I thank members for their questions. In terms of our alignment and role as an honest broker, I do not think increasing our formal alignment in defence and security would fundamentally change that. The European Union already collectively plays quite an honest broker role in the case a member raised. In respect of Israeli-Palestinian peace, it is certainly not viewed in the same way as the United States, which is certainly aligned with one particular party.

Based on the decades of the existence of the European Union, its predecessor organisations and NATO, I do not believe that becoming a more active member in terms of EU common defence or joining NATO at some point in the future would fundamentally change most aspects of Irish foreign policy. There are many disagreements on issues between long-standing NATO and EU members. They have to agree on how to deal with external threats to all of them. Other than that, there is no need or pressure to toe a particular line. We certainly do not have to agree with the United States, Germany, France or the UK on any particular issue, whether it be Israel, Palestine or another matter.

Therefore, we can continue to be a powerful voice for the Palestinian people and Palestinian statehood if we choose to continue taking this perspective. We can continue to be a key player in terms of the development of humanitarian assistance and other key planks in our foreign policy that we should all be very proud of. I do not think these things would change at all.