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

My visit to Israel, the occupied Palestinian territory and Jordan was an important step in Ireland’s long-standing support for international efforts to achieve peace in the region. My insights from engaging with the situation on the ground will shape Ireland’s constructive role in promoting a sustainable political horizon.

During the visit, I highlighted my deep concern with the continued expansion of Israeli settlements, demolitions and evictions in the West Bank to the Israeli Government, including in meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu and the foreign minister, Eli Cohen. I discussed the importance of intra-Palestinian reconciliation and democratic legitimacy, including elections, with President Abbas of Palestine. I also had meaningful engagement on the conflict in my meetings in Jordan, including with His Majesty the King and the foreign minister, Ayman Safadi.

Since my visit, I have had the opportunity to raise the issue during my meetings at the UN General Assembly, where I was pleased to take part in the launch of the Peace Day initiative by the EU, the League of Arab States and Saudi Arabia. I reaffirmed the importance of reinvigorating a peace process and my concern at the negative trends I witnessed on the ground. I also attended a working dinner with Arab and European ministers, hosted by the International Peace Institute at the UN, to discuss options for progress and a more co-ordinated international engagement in respect of the conflict. I assure the Deputy that I will continue to work with partners in the European Union and internationally to ensure a continuing focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

With regard to recognition, the programme for Government states that the Government will:

Honour our commitment to recognise the 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 protect the integrity of Palestinian territory.

Recognition is a step Ireland can only take once and doing so must be in the interests of advancing a peace process. The decision to recognise would potentially also have a cost to Ireland in terms of our ability to wield any influence in the process. The timing and context of any such decision would affect whether the resulting loss of influence would be matched by a commensurate benefit for the Palestinian people and a positive impact on the peace process and a two-state solution. My judgment at present is that this would not be the case in respect of unilateral recognition by Ireland alone.

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