Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 14, inclusive, together.

I spoke by phone with Prime Minister Sánchez, most recently on Monday, 6 May, when we again discussed the situation in the Middle East, especially in Gaza, concerns about Rafah, and plans to recognise the state of Palestine. In particular, we shared a deep concern about the potential impacts of an Israeli military operation in Rafah, recalling that the international community has made it very clear that an Israeli military operation would inevitably lead to disastrous humanitarian consequences and the deaths of large numbers of innocent civilians. The protection of civilians is an obligation under international humanitarian law.

The situation in the Middle East was also the focus of our discussions when Prime Minister Sánchez visited me in Dublin on Friday, 12 April. In our meeting, we expressed our deep concern about the devastating humanitarian situation in the Middle East, particularly in Gaza. We agreed to continue working together to push for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional and immediate release of all remaining hostages and a surge in humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. We took stock of work under way in New York on a resolution on Palestine’s membership of the UN. Ireland fully supports Palestinian membership of the United Nations. I welcome that the resolution on Palestinian membership was overwhelmingly agreed by members of the UN General Assembly on 10 May.

Prime Minister Sánchez and I also discussed our concern about the risk of escalation of the conflict into the wider region, including Lebanon, a country that is already very fragile and in which both Ireland and Spain have members of our Defence Forces serving with United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL. Spain and Ireland have long taken a special interest in the region. It is fair to say that both countries are strongly committed to the vision of a two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living in peace and security side by side.

We discussed our shared commitment to the recognition of the state of Palestine at an early date. Ireland and Spain, together with Malta and Slovenia, have previously said this is something we are ready to do when the conditions are right. When we take the step we would like to do so with others, if possible, as a positive contribution to the search for peace and as something we believe can have a positive impact on the situation on the ground. We agreed that it is our shared assessment that the right moment is coming much closer and that we would continue to co-ordinate closely with each other and with other like-minded countries.

In our meeting in Dublin, we also discussed the strong bilateral relationship that exists between Ireland and Spain, with deep and growing economic and people-to-people links. I also met the Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez in Warsaw on Thursday, 11 April, when we discussed the EU’s future strategic agenda at a dinner that was convened by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and hosted by the Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk. It is clear that the coming years will be pivotal for the EU in terms of our collective security in a more volatile environment and our ability to secure the prosperity and well-being of our people in a rapidly changing world.

The Spanish Prime Minister and I also attended a special European Council in Brussels on 17 and 18 April, the agenda of which included Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and, as I already discussed, the future of the EU’s Single Market. I thank the Spanish Prime Minister for the work he has done internationally. I have been very pleased to work with him on trying to build a coalition and momentum for the recognition of the state of Palestine. People ask why we should recognise the state of Palestine. The answer is extremely simple. If you believe in a two-state solution, it is important that you recognise the existence of both states. We must keep the two-state solution very much to the fore at this time when others are seeking to actively undermine it.

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