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

There have been different views across the European Union for a considerable length of time on the Middle East and particularly on the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Because of history going back to the Second World War, the Holocaust and so on, people, particularly in Germany but also elsewhere, look at the conflict through a different lens from others in Europe, including ourselves. We have worked within the European Union with others and with other like-minded states to change the narrative and to try to bring people to a greater consensus. I think we have been relatively impactful, along with others, in terms of moving the European Union towards calling for a humanitarian ceasefire. At the most recent meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, 26 member states agreed on sanctions against the West Bank settlers. If someone said to me that would happen a month or six weeks ago, I would have been doubtful. That would certainly have been the case two or three months ago. The point is that we are having an impact. The decision of the President of the Commission last week to change the position with respect to UNRWA and to offer an immediate €50 million is a further sign that people are listening and we are having an influence. That is the best way to proceed now. What will happen after the European elections is that political parties will put forward nominees.

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