Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government states that the Government will honour its commitment to recognising a state of Palestine as part of a lasting settlement of the conflict, or, in advance of that, when we believe doing so will progress efforts to reach a two-state solution or to protect the integrity of the Palestinian territory. We could go solo and do it next week or next year, but what impact would that have? That is a serious question which we must ask. There is a strong argument that having a stronger, collective voice with a number of significant EU member states and others, if we join forces and collectively recognise the state of Palestine, would be far more impactful than one country going it alone. I accept that is a judgment call. As I said earlier, the levers one uses to put pressure on the Israeli Government require judgment. We have been pushing the need for an association agreement with the Palestinian authority at EU level. Several of us have put forward to Josep Borrell that a much stronger relationship between the European Union and the Palestinian National Authority is required.

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