Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I compliment our colleagues led by Senator Norris, who was strongly influential in ensuring the motion was tabled. He and I have visited the Middle East together as part of parliamentary delegations and he travels there regularly in a personal capacity. His information, therefore, is more relevant and up to date than that in the media reports on which most of us rely. It is salutary that Senator Norris, in condemning the most recent suicide bombing and its consequences in the streets of Jerusalem, also pointed out that eight Palestinians died the same day, yet this had not been conveyed to the international media with the same force. That is part of what is going on.

All of us are familiar with the propaganda war perpetrated during the Troubles from 1970 until the ceasefire in 1994. Propaganda was an extremely effective weapon used by both sides as they sought to influence the hearts and minds of the public. The same is happening between the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority. There is a constant battle for the hearts and minds of the international community and, depending on one's level of emotional response, there is no more potent image than bleeding bodies and discarded limbs lying on a street in Jerusalem. This is followed by publication of the most shocking photographs or video images of a smiling suicide bomber telling us what he or she had intended to do.

The most recent example was not only disgusting but sad. A young mother with two children believed she was dying for her faith and going to paradise, yet she left a husband and two small children motherless. One wonders whether any cause is worth that. I am reminded of Daniel O'Connell's famous quote in the 19th century which was often misinterpreted and reinterpreted depending on which side one took on the Nationalist question. He said the freedom of Ireland was not worth the shedding of one drop of Irish blood. That is as relevant today in Ireland and internationally, particularly in the Middle East, as it was then.

I will concentrate on one or two issues as Senator Norris has covered wide ground. I visited the Middle East twice and one aspect of the trips that remained with me was my journey to the refugee camp at Gamala in the West Bank. We visited a medical centre funded by UNRWA. There was one medical doctor, two nursing staff and at least 200 young Palestinian mothers queuing with their babies for medical attention. The centre was totally under resourced and the staff were fighting a losing battle in attempting to come to grips with the medical problems with which they were being presented every minute. The final recommendation in the motion, "to maximise opportunities to support the beleaguered inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza in their current distress through humanitarian projects", should be acted on by the Minister of State.