Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Crowe was correct when he said that I had the opportunity to visit Israel, Lebanon and the Palestinian territory from 15 to 19 February. What was striking overall was that increasing instability, in particular arising from the conflict in Syria, is casting a dark shadow over the entire region.

In Lebanon, I had the opportunity to meet the UNIFIL force commander, Major General Luciano Portolano, and Irish troops serving with UNIFIL. Due to deteriorating weather conditions, it was not possible for my visit to Jordan to go ahead.

The primary purpose of my visit to Israel and the Palestinian territory was to personally assess the situation on the ground in the context of the Middle East peace process. I met a range of interlocutors, including the Foreign Minister of Israel, Mr. Liberman, Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, and Palestinian Prime Minister, Rami Hamdallah, and Pierre Krahenbuhl, the Commissioner General of the UN Relief and Works Agency. I did not meet Hamas in Gaza. I also met UN agencies and civil society groups to develop a better understanding of the issues faced on all sides. I also had a telephone conversation with the leader of Israel’s Labour Party, Isaac Herzog, who has strong links with Ireland.

In Gaza, I was struck by the desperation of the humanitarian situation for so many people on the ground. In my subsequent meeting with Foreign Minister Liberman, I stressed the need to make further progress in lifting the blockade to meet humanitarian need and as an enabler of social and economic progress. I also raised with Minister Liberman my concerns about settlements and the threat that their continued expansion poses to the viability of a two-state solution. In the West Bank, I saw at first hand the impact of settlements, including on the daily life of Palestinians. I also met Israelis living near the border with Gaza who continue to live in fear of attacks from Hamas.

See this speech in context