Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is difficult and challenging. Israel does not appreciate or like the Irish position, to put it mildly. We have always been consistent in saying we are not anti-Israel or the Israeli people. However, we make our judgments and observations and take positions on this situation through the prism of international humanitarian law, the UN charter, and the need for a two-state solution and peace. I say this in a humble way, but Israel lacks a strategic sense, in my view, of any policy and has a very simple view of life that if one is not totally on its side then one is off-side. I say that in the context of understanding the horrific nature of the 7 October attack on the people of Israel by Hamas, which was heinous and horrific and has left a lot of trauma on the Israeli people and that should not be underestimated. However, nothing can justify what has happened in Gaza and the nature of the destruction there.

EU Commissioner Janez Lenari said something to me when he came to Ireland recently, which I was glad to hear and which was interesting. He said people say to him that Ireland is pro-Palestinian. He replies that Ireland is not pro-Palestinian; Ireland is pro-humanitarian law. That is important to me. We are pro-Palestine's right to self-determination, however, we do not allow ourselves to be partisan for the sake of it. We believe in basic principles and they should be applied. There has been a long-standing support in Ireland for Palestinian self-determination. That was a view held in Israel at one stage, that there would be a two-state solution. However, in the last decade or so, all efforts have been to undermine the viability of such a state emerging.