Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

I agree with the Deputy on the last point. Rather than factionalise the people it is a great tragedy that all the Palestinian people cannot focus on help. I made the point in an earlier response to Deputy Allen that we have some experience that hundreds of years of fighting and killing achieves nothing. A few years of political courage focused on talking can provide solutions. This tragedy for the Palestinian people and the relationship between Palestine and Israel will only be resolved by honest negotiations and by people taking the view that there is benefit in listening to every side in an argument. It has been the view of successive Irish Governments that the two-state solution, in which people can live side by side in peace, harmony and tranquility, is the appropriate way forward. The Deputy is right. Ireland can bring some experiences to the international table.

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