Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

He is welcome. I commend Senator Norris on tabling this motion which is agreed by all parties in the House. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, and the Minister, Deputy Cowen, both of whom have played a very important role in relation to the future of Palestine and the difficulties of that region. I commend the Government for its excellent contribution this evening which outlines exactly how matters stand at present. I am particularly pleased that we as a Government have sent our own national statement to the International Court of Justice to ensure that we are represented. As President of the European Union it is vitally important that we play a role at this stage. It is very much in line with Fianna Fáil policy as enunciated by the former Tánaiste, the late Brian Lenihan, who, as Minister in 1980, stated the position regarding the future of Palestine and the need for a state. It was a very courageous statement at the time and represented a very futuristic approach to this area. Palestine has great friends here in the Oireachtas. Our mission is to ensure the self-determination of the Palestinian state and also the existence of Israel as a state, but not on the basis of current conduct or, particularly, the new Berlin wall.

The statement by the Prime Minister of Israel is rather remarkable in that it proposes the removal of the settlements in the Gaza Strip. I hope we can believe these statements and that the President of the European Union will work in that regard. I find the statement remarkable. It is a conversion on the road to Damascus. Some of the settlers will now call him Judas. It is very difficult to believe that the same Prime Minister who is erecting new barriers and walls to divide the people of Israel and Palestine and remove Palestinians from their rightful occupation of thousands of hectares of land is making this statement. President Arafat will have some reservations in this regard, but the statement has been made that all Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip will be dismantled. The order has been given to plan for the evacuation of 17 settlements and the assumption is that in future there will be no Jews in Gaza. If this is true it is certainly a move towards negotiations on the road map which was put forward by the Americans and supported by the European Union. In that regard it is unusual for an independent parliament to have a support group called Friends of Palestine and I thank those who participated. A high percentage of Deputies and Senators have participated in support of an independent Palestinian state. That is quite remarkable for an independent Parliament. I wish that group every success as convenor. We will continue to work with the ambassador here in Ireland in support of Palestine and a just and long-term settlement of this particular issue, which has so much potential to cause further world conflict. The situation in Palestine calls for justice. It demands the people of the world should note that Palestine is entitled to its existence, its own government and to be a free democratic state. We support that fully.