Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of my party, I express appreciation to the Defence Forces for the work they have been doing in Lebanon for many years. The Irish nation, through its soldiers, has made a distinguished contribution to peace, particularly in Lebanon and the Golan Heights. The House does not often collectively acknowledge the practical contribution of the nation, as opposed to the Government, in providing assistance in the Middle East. This contribution is highly appreciated and well regarded in the region. I recall that on a visit to Lebanon after some of our troops had been deployed to other locations and the Defence Forces strength in the region had diminished, there was a clamour for Irish troops to return because of the sensitive manner in which they operated and their overall approach.

Ireland's contribution to the United Nations Relief Agency, UNRA, in Gaza over the past five or six years has been good. The current head of UNRA and his predecessor, Mr. John Ging, have been appreciative of Irish Aid's commitment to the agency. Without UNRA, the people of Gaza would be in an appalling position. The agency, one of the unsung heroes of the region, does not receive the support it needs from the United Nations or the major powers. It is the key to the region in terms of education, health and basic humanitarian services. I ask the Taoiseach to review the budget of the wider Irish Aid programme to establish whether we could do more for UNRA and the citizens of Gaza in the aftermath of the appalling savagery of the recent conflict.

When the Government came to office, it took the decision - the wrong one in my view - to adopt a very pro-Israel stance. This decisive shift in Ireland's relationship with Israel clouded the Government's response to issues as they unfolded. During the onslaught on Gaza, the Government was slow to come to the table in terms of condemnation and it equivocated in the early stages of the bombing about some of what was taking place. It is not logistically possible to bomb Gaza without killing innocent women and children. I have always condemned Hamas rocket attacks on Israel but the response to these attacks has been utterly disproportionate and has resulted in an unacceptable loss of life. While I accept the legitimacy of the Israeli state and believe in its viability, Israel's strategy and policies have served to support extremists in the Palestinian world and have continuously alienated moderate Palestinians. Time and again, Israel has left President Abbas beleaguered.

The ongoing discussion about a two state solution has to some extent served as a cover for the diplomatic responses to events as they unfold. Many states and the European Union indicate they are fully in favour of a two state solution, which could be achieved if only people would come together and talk. It is time to face the reality that Israel may not be in favour of a two state solution as all of its policies appear to be aimed at ensuring it is never achieved. By continually promoting and developing settlements, Israel is ensuring that a two state solution will never be viable. The settlements are growing and expanding without regard to international law and Palestinian rights are cast aside time and again.

At some point, anyone who looks at a map of the region and asks where the two states are will conclude that it is not viable to have two states, the reason being the urge of the Israeli Government to pursue a never-ending policy of settlement. This strategy is designed to ensure the two state solution will never be viable. In essence, Israel's approach is one of containment; in other words, it seeks to contain Gazans in the Gaza Strip and manage the Fatah Government in the West Bank by keeping it on a drip feed which is cut off every time it becomes boisterous or objectionable. That is essentially what is happening and it creates a very difficult situation.

What should Ireland do? We should recognise the state of Palestine. Israel has strongly resisted moves towards recognition and most countries in the European Union and most members of the Quartet do not favour pursuing this option because they want talks on a two state solution to commence. In their view, we should give talks a chance and the recognition of Palestine would cause further difficulty. At this stage, we should read the tea leaves because there will not be a successful talks process. When President Obama was first elected, he put his reputation on the line by appointing George Mitchell as his Middle East envoy. Prime Minister Netanyahu defied Mr. Mitchell, saw him out and created pressure in the United States to ensure the peace initiative to which the president was committed would not work. While I believe the efforts of John Kerry are worthwhile, he too will be fobbed off and the issue played out by the Israelis until the next presidential election in the United States. That appears to be what is happening.

More affirmative action needs to be taken and Sweden deserves great credit for taking the stance it has adopted. The Fianna Fáil Party led the way on this issue in the Seanad when, with others, it made a proposal on recognition. The Oireachtas, as an entity, should consider recognising the state of Palestine, as should the Government. Ireland was the first European country to recognise the right of Palestinians to a homeland. Given everything that has happened, we should not move to change the international diplomatic response to the continuing breaches of international law by Israel. More important, we should give some concrete expression to our belief in a two state solution. Why not recognise a Palestinian state, with all such recognition would entail, and press for this recognition at United Nations level? This should be Government policy. I am open to holding discussions with other party leaders on the issue. It would be wonderful if the Oireachtas could arrive at a unified position, free from partisanship and knockabout politics. If we were capable of uniting on this issue, I believe it would make a difference.

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