Neale Richmond (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I respectfully disagree. I join the Minister of State and the Tánaiste in calling for a truly independent investigation, led by the UN, into last week's atrocities and into the ongoing conflict in the region. As Senator Mark Daly said, there are many factors at play here. The current American Administration is not helping the situation. The same thing can be said of the Iranian Administration and of the Egyptian Government's policy in respect of the border in southern Gaza. All of these things are contributing to the tinderbox that exists. If we are truly serious about wanting peace and using our experience and knowledge of peace and reconciliation to the benefit of ordinary people, rather than the political leaders in Likud, Hamas or Fatah, we strongly need to stay engaged. When I speak about "ordinary people", I am referring to Israeli and Palestinian people - Jews, Christians, Muslims and everyone else - regardless of ethnicity or religion. We must try to be a benevolent force in this region. The approach that has been taken by this country has worked in certain areas where it has had a positive impact. We need to keep doing that. If we disengage, protest and throw people out, we will turn our back on and absolve our responsibility to a part of the world we have invested in over many years. I appreciate the opportunity to express my thoughts on this subject. I appreciate that differing views will be expressed in this Chamber, as they always are. It is right that such views generate an emotional response from all sides. We need to clear through the fog. We need to think about the ordinary people on the ground in Palestine and Israel, some of whom are Irish. We need to chart a course forward and try to play our part.