Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

I understood that recognition of the State of Israel was implicit in the arrangement made. Given that it was mediated through Saudi Arabia and the other Arab states which give such recognition, therefore implicitly Hamas was changing its clothes in this matter. Even if it has not been formally stated as such, are there not considerable grounds for progress to be made through now seizing the opportunity for the European Union to have direct talks with the unity Government, obviously with the carrot that the funding would go through that Government as quickly as possible rather than bypassing it?

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