60. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the vision that Ireland currently holds for attaining a long-term settlement between Israel and Palestine; the part Ireland will play in contributing to same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62384/26]

Ireland remains committed to working with key partners to support efforts to end the conflict in Israel and Palestine, and to achieve a lasting and peaceful resolution based on the two-State solution.

On 28 May 2024, the Government decided to formally recognise the State of Palestine as a sovereign, independent State, within the territory defined by the 1967 borders referenced in UN Security Council resolution 242 (1967). Our recognition of Palestine was a concrete step, taken along with trusted international partners. Since then we have been working closely with Arab and Gulf partners, as well as partners in Europe and beyond to promote implementation of the two-State solution.

Ireland has consistently argued that the only just and sustainable solution, for both Palestinians and Israelis, is a two-State solution based on 1967 borders, with the State of Israel, and an independent, contiguous, sovereign, and viable State of Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security and mutual recognition, with Jerusalem serving as the future capital of both states.

However, this is a perilous moment for the two-State solution. We are witnessing how unilateral actions by the Israeli Government are undermining the prospect of a secure and prosperous Middle East. The E1 settlement poses a fundamental threat to the prospect of a viable, contiguous Palestinian State and, ultimately, to the two-State solution. I urge the Israeli Government to immediately rescind this tender and reiterate my call for an end to all illegal settlement activity.

Recent attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian villages and communities, in some cases alongside Israeli Defence Forces, are utterly indefensible. I urge the Israeli Government to take immediate steps to restore stability in the West Bank, including removing restrictions on the finances of the Palestinian Authority and releasing withheld tax clearance revenues.

Ireland has taken action at the domestic level and continues to press for a stronger and more coordinated response by the European Union and the wider international community. The EU must be prepared to respond decisively to actions that violate international law and further erode the prospects for peace. Ireland continues to advocate for an EU ban on trade with Israeli settlements and has called on the Commission to table a concrete proposal aimed at prohibiting EU trade with Israeli settlements, with a view to a vote by Member States. Ireland has also called for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, or at a minimum the suspension of the trade elements of the Agreement. During our EU Presidency, we will continue work to maintain a focus on Palestine at EU level.

Ireland is also an active participant in the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. On 28 January, I hosted the eighth meeting of the Global Alliance at Croke Park in Dublin. The meeting shared Ireland’s experience of a successful peace process in Northern Ireland as part of ongoing efforts in support of the two-State solution.

Ireland will continue to advocate for meaningful international action and for a peaceful, secure and prosperous future for Palestinians, Israelis and the wider Middle East.