Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not accept the point that the Israeli Government does not care. It does listen to what the international community says. Sometimes it takes action in a way that is contrary to the views of many countries, including in the EU. Recent years have been very damaging to a peace process that is very fragile right now in the context of the Middle East peace process. I understand why Irish people have been frustrated by moves that have damaged the prospect of a two-state solution. Expanding settlements is part of that, as well as other decisions that have been made, in particular in regard to Jerusalem in recent years. What we are about right now is sending a very clear signal to a new Israeli Government, which is a different government from the previous one. It is a coalition government comprising a number of different parties that have different perspectives on how they should approach this issue. The focus should be on intense diplomacy and clear language to provide a deterrent to the extension of Israeli sovereignty to lands in the West Bank, which are Palestinian lands. Any change in borders has got to be negotiated and agreed by both parties and not simply imposed by one. Ireland's view is very clear on that and has been made in a respectful but direct way to the new Israeli Government.

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