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

We do not do that by speaking in an entirely different way from everybody else and creating an impression that Ireland is out on its own. That is the difference in the approach between me and many of the Members opposite. It is a judgment call politically in how we should approach that. I agree with Deputy Berry, whom I know has served time in the Middle East, and has been in either UNIFIL or UNDOF, or perhaps both. One of the reasons Irish people are so knowledgeable and interested in this part of the world is because close to 50% of our Defence Forces have served in UNIFIL or UNDOF at some point in their career. That drives more knowledge and concern and a sense of injustice across society in terms of what continues to happen across the Middle East, in particular towards the Palestinians.

Do I believe a two-state solution is still possible? Yes, I do. Do I believe that people are actively looking to undermine it as weeks and months go by? Yes, I do. Am I worried about the possible illegality of the recent announcements by the Israeli Government on the strategic nature of the latest settlement expansion that is being announced to essentially cut off Palestinian communities from each other in the context of a future Palestinian state? Yes, I am worried about that. Yes, it is illegal, and, yes, I call it out. Do I want to engage with an Israeli government? Yes, I do as well. Do I want to work with the Palestinian Authority to create a more credible political leadership across Palestine? Yes, I want to do that too. I have been working with other countries to try to help do that, both in the region and in the EU and elsewhere. I will continue to do that. It is my judgment that if we isolate ourselves by the strength of language that we use at this stage, even though we may passionately believe in that, then my job becomes more difficult in trying to create that consensus.

Deputy Boyd Barrett is correct that the EU has responded in an extraordinary way to the shocking violence that we are seeing as war is waged on Ukraine from Russia. It has been an extraordinary response. I have never seen anything like it in my 23 years of politics linked to the Union. If we could respond like that to other conflicts around the world, whether in Yemen, Ethiopia over the past year, Afghanistan or Syria, that would be a powerful thing. If we could create that kind of consensus, drive and influence in the context of encouraging and pushing for peace in the Middle East, that would be a powerful thing too, but to achieve that, consensus has to be achieved, or at least partial consensus by building an alliance of countries that are willing to push in that direction. Ireland does not have the capacity to impose sanctions on its own. Ireland does not have the capacity to impose an arms embargo on its own, not that we sell arms anyway, but we can create momentum around that kind of activity by creating a narrative that is agreed by other countries in the EU. That builds momentum - the kind of momentum that we have created in the context of the horrors of the war in Ukraine right now.

The approach that I defend and take is one of engagement with an Israeli Government that is highly diverse and that has multiple partners to it, including Arab partners. I have invested in trying to build a relationship with the Israeli Foreign Minister, and I make no apologies for that. That is what Ireland should be doing as a member of the international community and as a country that wants to change Israeli policy towards Palestinians. I will also work with others in an effort to try to build momentum in that space.

In the meantime, we are a country that continues to support Palestinians from a humanitarian perspective. I remain a strong advocate for UNRWA, as others try to undermine its credibility as an organisation. So far this year, we have committed €6 million to UNRWA and we may commit more. I think it was €9 million last year. I see the extraordinary benefits of UNRWA through education, healthcare, income distribution and so on that UNRWA continues to provide.

I accept the strength of feeling and also much of what is outlined in this Amnesty report. We will study it. We will study the recommendations and conclusions of that report and I expect we will use it to influence the approach that we take towards trying to protect and encourage a peace process that can deliver a two-state solution, which is absolutely the Government's priority in this debate.

See this speech in context