Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

I welcome the strength of the interventions the Minister has been making on this issue, particularly in light of the messages Members have received from those who are not interested in anything other than laying down preconditions of such a nature as to make peace impossible.

However, his views are exceptional in the European Union at present and, indeed, certain countries are opposed to them. I have been visiting the West Bank and Gaza since the 1980s. The people on the other side who are most insistent on preconditions will not point to the demolition of a single settlement. In 2005, there was a withdrawal from Gaza and a few minor settlements in a remote part of the West Bank. They look on and do not condemn the expansion of settlements and they cannot point to the destruction of houses. They did not oppose the destruction of houses in East Jerusalem or the West Bank. It is total hypocrisy to say one is in favour of a negotiated, peaceful solution while at the same time refusing to address the issue of settlement expansion.

The existing Euromed agreement contains three human rights clauses but there is no compliance with them. Why is everyone so quiet about that? It would be outrageous to deepen the agreement.

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