Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister referred to despair. There is certainly despair in the individual who attacks civilians with a knife in the face of armed soldiers and armed police. That is the side where the despair is. Unfortunately, the European Union is building and contributing to that despair by continuously kowtowing to the Israelis and not forcing them back to the table and to the peace process. That is where the despair originates. The Israeli soldiers, armed to the teeth and standing at checkpoints and in the streets of Jerusalem, are not despairing. They are relishing the fact that they can take violent action on the Palestinian community. The Minister must stand with the people who are despairing and strongly reinforce the policy that the peace process must take precedence. That can only be done by talking to the Israelis, not by urging calm on both sides on the streets.

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