Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Intensive US-led efforts have been continuing in recent months to put in place the conditions that would allow for the resumption of direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. The US envoy to the Middle East, Senator George Mitchell, has been working closely with both parties in order to generate a sense of momentum and to restore Israeli and Palestinian confidence in the merits of peaceful engagement. This has been a delicate and difficult process and has involved significant diplomatic work on the ground in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. EU Foreign Ministers, at their recent informal meeting in Stockholm which I attended, made clear the EU's full support for these efforts. There is still some hope that the recent diplomatic efforts will culminate in a tripartite meeting between President Obama, President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu at the UN General Assembly later this month which might re-launch the peace process and direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations which have been suspended since last December.

The primary obstacle to the resumption of negotiations so far has been continued illegal Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has made it clear that he is not prepared to meet with his Israeli counterparts until there has been a genuine and complete freeze on settlement building. Senator Mitchell has expended considerable effort on trying to strike a deal with the Israeli Government on such a settlement freeze. Promisingly, there have been indications in recent weeks that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu may be prepared to agree to a freeze in some form so that peace talks could resume.

The current efforts to re-launch peace negotiations have, however, been undermined to some extent by the decision of the Israeli Defence Ministry last week to give approval for the construction of 450 new homes in the occupied West Bank. This decision is difficult to reconcile with the current US-led efforts and threatens to erode the goodwill that has been carefully cultivated in recent weeks. It also undermines the position of moderate Palestinian leaders seeking to justify peaceful engagement with Israel.

Both the EU, in a Declaration issued on 8 September, and the US have clearly expressed their disappointment over this particular settlement expansion plan. UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has also made his displeasure about the move known. Ireland's position is very clear. Israeli settlement building, whether in East Jerusalem or in the West Bank, is illegal under international law and represents a primary obstacle to the two-State solution. Continued expansion of these settlements undermines the viability of a Palestinian State and makes the realisation of that goal harder to achieve.

Moreover, the daily and cumulative injustices and humiliations which the whole settlement process entails for the Palestinian population serve to increase the risk of another large scale descent into violence. Within the context of the EU, Ireland has long been among the most active Member States in ensuring that these concerns about settlement expansion are made known to the Israeli Government at every opportunity. I have also personally raised my deep concerns about the issue directly with Israeli leaders and officials.

Prime Minister Netanyahu, in a significant move for a leader of the Likud Party, indicated earlier this year his conditional acceptance of the objective of a two-State solution. The international community is now awaiting evidence of deeds to match those words. Settlement expansion cannot be reconciled with the goal of a viable two-State solution. I would now call on Prime Minister Netanyahu and his Government to provide further clear evidence of their determination to take the difficult decisions that are needed for peace.