Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The direct peace talks begun in July 2013 have not definitively ended but they have been suspended and it is not considered that they are likely to be resumed quickly. The talks did, however, make some progress and promote understanding on some issues, and we would hope very much that this progress is not lost and the talks can move forward. We are not privy to the exact understandings between the parties on which the talks were based but it is generally understood that this included a specified programme of prisoner releases, accepted by Israel as a confidence building measure in place of a settlement freeze. Release of prisoners, especially those convicted of violent crimes, is a difficult issue for any society. Nonetheless, I consider that the release of the final batch of prisoners should not have been made conditional on a further Palestinian concession beyond the original agreement, and therefore that it should have gone ahead.

There were other steps taken by both sides, however, and Israel has argued that further talks had come very close to agreeing terms for the prisoner release to go ahead when the process broke down. The root of the problem goes deeper than this issue and centres on a deep lack of trust between the parties. A critical and destructive element of this has been the relentless process of settlement announcements by Israel during the talks. It is noteworthy that despite the breakdown in the talks, both sides have been quite measured in the steps they have taken and have been careful, so far, not to burn any bridges. The United States has understandably stepped back from the process for the moment, and the Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, has rightly called on both sides to reflect on their positions, the prize of peace which is readily attainable, the leadership and compromises needed to get there and on the cost of failure to both peoples. I strongly endorse that call.

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