Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will be sharing time with Deputy James Browne.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the important issue of Palestine. This is a difficult week for the Palestinian people. It marks the 70th anniversary of the birth of the state of Israel which Palestinians refer to as Nakba, meaning "catastrophe". For Palestinians, they are commemorating the more than 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes in the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation. As such, the anniversary is a painful reminder of what they have lost and the suffering that they continue to endure.

This week is being made all the more difficult by the ill-conceived decision of the United States to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem which has only served to further stoke tensions in the region. Meanwhile, Palestinians have been protesting in recent weeks in the "Great March of Return" and violence has resulted in dozens of people being killed and more than 1,000 others being injured as the conflict continues to take its toll. Even on the day of the opening of the embassy in Jerusalem, 50 or more Palestinians were killed. In fact, there were more and, unfortunately, the figure will continue to rise. The opening of the embassy has been described by President Abbas as one of the worst decisions in this century.

At this juncture, finding a sustainable and long-lasting solution to this complex conflict is as distant as it has ever been, but that does not mean that we should give up trying. Fianna Fáil condemns the violence perpetrated by both sides to the conflict, but as a country that has had its own history of violent conflict, we know all too well the importance of persevering, even in the most difficult and challenging of circumstances.

Fianna Fáil has always respected the establishment and progress of the state of Israel. We have never questioned the right of the Israeli people to self-determination and self-defence. Coupled with this, however, my party has long advocated and supported a two-state solution in the Middle East. Fianna Fáil in government led Ireland to become the first EU member state to declare that a solution to the conflict had to be based on a fully sovereign state of Palestine, independent of and co-existing with Israel. That policy position was launched in 1980 by the then Minister for Foreign Affairs, the late Brian Lenihan Snr, who said the Palestinian people "had a right to self-determination and to the establishment of an independent state in Palestine." Unfortunately, there has been very little progress in recent years in advancing peace. The construction and expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory, in breach of international law, continue.

Conditions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank continue to deteriorate. The Palestinian refugee crisis, overshadowed in recent years by the war in Syria, is one of the longest-lasting episodes of forced migration in modern history. The conflict can only be solved if there is first and foremost a genuine commitment and willingness on both sides to find a satisfactory solution. The promise of the Oslo Accords must be revitalised. A two-state solution whereby Israel and Palestine can peacefully co-exist is the best long-term option for this embattled region. The scale of the conflict and mounting number of casualties underscore the pressing need for progress in the peace process. The tragic history of the region can only be reversed with strong international pressure and engagement by Israel and the Palestinian powers.

The Government, in co-operation with our EU partners, and the international community must redouble their efforts to stabilise the situation and calm tensions in the region. We must never shy away from condemning violence and speaking out when there are flagrant breaches of international law. The programme for Government states: "We will continue to play a role in advancing a stronger role for the EU in the Middle East Peace Process, having regard to the stalled nature of the process at present, and honour our commitment to recognise the State of Palestine as part of a lasting settlement of the conflict." If the suppression of the Palestinian people continues and there is no genuine commitment to engage in peace talks then Ireland’s recognition of Palestine may have to be brought forward with the agreement of the House. There seems to be complacency on the issue across the EU and that must change. Ireland has a role at EU level in ensuring that the Israel-Palestinian situation is debated at the EU Council meeting in June. The Taoiseach should make it known that Irish people are very concerned by recent developments. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, should make our concerns known at the next meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council.

Although the EU has called for restraint in the area, it must do more at a diplomatic level to encourage peace. It was reported that the Secretary General of the League of Arab States met ministers for lunch at the February meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council to discuss the stepping up of collective international support and how to revive the Middle East process in an inclusive manner with the objective of achieving a two-state solution. It would be of benefit for the Minister, Deputy Coveney, to outline whether there is an update on how that is being acted upon. With that in mind, I asked the Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence to invite the Minister to outline the extra diplomatic efforts being made in the short, medium and long term, given the most recent horrific loss of life.

The Irish people have a deep and historical connection with Palestine and are genuinely disturbed at developments in recent months and, in particular, the past few days. The loss of life and increased violence is unacceptable and entirely avoidable. Every effort must be made at a global and EU level to restart intensive peace talks. If that does not happen, the violent attacks by Hamas will intensify and more Palestinians will become more involved in supporting its violent ways. The number of martyrs will also increase. The reports of young men and women being paid to approach the border are very disturbing. Calm must prevail. The era of provocation must cease and there must be a genuine attempt to restart negotiations and end the unnecessary loss of life.

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