Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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496. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the various constituent bodies in the Arab-Israeli conflict continue to make themselves available for peace negotiations; if sufficient support exists to instigate a new peace process whereby issues of concern on all sides will be addressed before an independent entity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45676/15]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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505. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the United Nations remain in contact with the Palestinian and Israeli authorities with a view to restoring peace negotiations which will examine the extent to which all factions can make a contribution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45685/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 496 and 505 together.

On a number of occasions in recent years it has proven possible, albeit with very considerable international effort, to bring both Israelis and Palestinians into a process of direct talks. International pressure has not, unfortunately, been sufficient to bring those talks successfully to a conclusion. Many reasons can be suggested for these failures, but they amount essentially to a complete lack of trust between the two sides, and a persistent reluctance by the Israeli Government to contemplate the difficult choices and compromises without which no negotiation can succeed.

I remain convinced that the conflict is entirely capable of resolution, if both sides can be convinced that it is in their own interest to end the current situation. The international community should concentrate its attention on creating those conditions.

The EU, the UN, the Quartet, the United States, and the Arab League are all active in trying to bring the parties and the process forward. There are special representatives of many of these permanently in the field.

It is not clear that any independent body, if such a body could be created, could add usefully to this already crowded field. I am not aware that either party has ever suggested it might be useful. Nor is it clear what such a body could be, who could appoint it, or to what extent it could exert any authority or be likely to be accepted by the parties as independent.