Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is nine years since Yasser Arafat died and the event still brings more questions than answers. The recently released forensic report indicates results from Yasser Arafat's body moderately support the proposition that he was poisoned with polonium 210, which will surprise few. Polonium 210 killed Alexander Litvinenko and it is a rare and highly radioactive isotope that is extremely hard to detect. It is so toxic that a fatal dose would kill an individual almost immediately.

It has been well documented that the former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has been vocal in admitting that he tried but failed to kill Yasser Arafat. Famously, in 1997 Israel botched an attempt to poison political leaders in Hamas. The big concern is the impact this may have on the talks, and other actions have already been taken by the Israeli Government, particularly with regard to new and illegal settlements. Will the Tánaiste support the investigation by the French and use his influence to call on Israel to end its illegal practices, which threaten to undermine the peace process?

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