Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In the meantime the settlements continue to be built. Leaving the legal argument and the moral argument about settlements aside, there is also a massive environmental impact of all these settlements. It is only when one is there that one sees for oneself the extent of the land taken up and the open spaces that were left available, the massive pressure on water and the difficulties of Palestinian people moving from one area to another. There is also much disquiet and anger among ordinary Israeli people and Israeli NGOs about what is going on. They do want to see further settlement building. All the policy statements and all the calls are not having any effect. That is the whole crux of the matter. If it continues like this there will not be a state left for Palestine to be part of a two-state solution given the amount of encroachment.

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