Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

When I visited the Middle East at the end of January I met Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Liberman, on the Israeli side and President Mahmoud Abbas and Foreign Minister, Riyadh al-Maliki, on the Palestinian side. The talks in Amman had just commenced at that stage, namely, the attempt to get things moving along the lines of the Quartet framework. Both sides told me they were willing to engage in those talks and move them ahead.

I left the meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu hoping there would be progress on the Israeli side and that some confidence-building measures would be announced which would enable President Abbas to proceed with talks and make some progress at that end. I am disappointed that has not happened. We continue to work through the European Union. Catherine Ashton has been in touch with both sides on a regular basis to try to get the Quartet formula moving forward again. I remain hopeful that may happen.

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