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

It is an issue we keep under constant review at Government level. I fully understand where the Deputy is coming from in respect of the question and the manner in which he has tabled it.

Coming back from the visit, there is deep concern across the region now as to how this situation is developing in a negative trajectory. It is very worrying and quite depressing in respect of the humanitarian consequences.

The scenario the Deputy outlined has implications as well. If you were to abandon, and if Israel were to abandon, a two-state solution, that has implications too. I put this to the Israelis. You cannot expel millions of Palestinians, and since Oslo, the Palestinian population has increased significantly also. There needs to be a logical resolution of this. I know every situation is different but there are interesting strands in the peace process in Ireland that could be applied in terms of confidence-building measures, etc. The Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh meetings were brokered by Jordan and they were not fulfilled even though Israeli interlocutors signed off on those agreements. They were not fulfilled by the Israeli Government or, indeed, followed through.

On the extension of the Abraham Accords and the Saudi Arabian-Israeli track, that is being discussed significantly with the United States' involvement. As to whether there is a loop back or a connection into the Palestinian-Israeli conflict remains to be seen. We would have to see fairly concrete evidence of that and that it might have a meaningful impact.

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