Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The first thing I want to say, and I am very conscious of it on a day like today, but it is important to say this, is that what happened on 7 October was an horrific terrorist attack. It was a massacre of people at a music festival. We have seen people who were killed, assaulted, raped, taken hostage, including children, including an Irish-Israeli girl. We should never forget that, brush over it or jump over it. The impact that had on the people of Israel, on their sense of security, should never be underestimated.

Countries have a right to defend themselves, but what we have seen happen - I have said this consistently over a significant period - has gone from being anything like the right of a country to defend itself to what looks like revenge, to what is a war on children and on to what has been catastrophic in terms of its impact on civilians and civilian infrastructure. We are now seeing people starving and, in many ways, being starved as a result of an inability or refusal to allow humanitarian aid access into Gaza in any sort of way of scale that is required.

Along with the leaders in of the coalition Government, I wanted us to recognise the state of Palestine today because it is true this has been in programmes for Government before and these, including this one, have generally said it would be recognised as part of a peace process to bring about a two-state solution. In many ways, that peace process or a sustainable, just peace seem farther away than ever before. In consultation with Spain, Norway and others, we believed it was important to keep the destination of a two-state solution alive and that we would recognise the state of Palestine today to create some degree of positive momentum and some degree of hope. I expect other countries to follow suit.

We have been clear that we recognise the 1967 borders, but there will have to be a peace process. There will have to be a political process to bring about peace in the region. We are a long way from the time when the Oslo Accords took place, some 30 years ago now. We need the violence to stop, an immediate ceasefire, the hostages to be released unconditionally, humanitarian aid to flow and a political process. People on this island, and, indeed, on these islands, know better than most that the only way you end violence and provide people with security and peace is, ultimately, through a political process.

In the context of the Israeli ambassador's attendance at our national day of commemoration, rather than fixating on her attendance there, I was more concerned as to the message I delivered in her presence calling out clearly what I believe are the actions of Israel in inflicting starvation on people in Gaza, including children, and the devastating humanitarian consequences that will continue to have.

See this speech in context