Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Despite the many difficulties remaining, the direct talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders that commenced on 2 September present a historic opportunity to at last achieve a just and lasting peace. Compounding the complexity of the issues has been a deep lack of trust between the two sides, with each believing the other is not serious about negotiations. Ireland and the European Union continue to regard Israeli settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories as illegal. However, without prejudice to that position, the partial freeze on new settlement construction ordered by Prime Minister Netanyahu in November 2009, limited as it was, was an important element in creating the atmosphere to allow these talks to begin. Ireland, along with our EU partners, with the United States and many others, strongly urged Israel to renew the construction freeze when it expired on 26 September, in order to allow the talks to continue. As I made clear in my speech to the United Nations General Assembly on 27 September, it is deeply regrettable that the Israeli Government has not done so and has allowed construction to resume.

Settlements and borders are only one of the issues which must be resolved in the negotiations. However, continued settlement construction is intended to circumscribe a negotiated peace by creating facts on the ground which any agreement must accept. It also involves the progressive expropriation of Palestinian lands, expulsion of families, and destruction of their homes. These factors would make it extremely difficult for President Abbas to continue in the talks, which have not yet progressed far enough to create stronger confidence in their outcome and he has stated clearly that he cannot do so if construction resumes.

At this moment the United States is working hard with both parties to find a formula that will allow the talks to continue, perhaps in the form of a limited extension of the freeze for a short period. It is not clear yet if these efforts will succeed. The foreign ministers of the Arab League agreed on 8 October to allow a further month for the US efforts to continue before deciding if the talks can proceed.

These talks may be the last opportunity for a long time to achieve a just settlement based on two states living side by side in peace and security. If this effort fails, new generations of leaders in Palestine and the wider Arab world may have no appetite to continue on this road. To avoid this and achieve lasting peace, maximum restraint for the duration of these talks would be a small price.

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