Ireland is prepared to broker Gaza deal

Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan has called on Israel to accept "tough compromises" in a peace deal with the Palestinians and for Ireland to play a role in the talks between both sides.

The war-torn enclave of Gaza must be allowed reopen its own port and the blockade should be lifted on its 1.7m inhabitants, the newly appointed minister declared.

However, the Fine Gael minister said this could only happen if Hamas, the Palestinian ruling party in Gaza, desisted from acts of violence including firing rockets into Israel.

Nearly 2,100 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 66 Israelis, mostly troops, have been killed in more than six weeks of fighting.

The fighting has left the enclosed coastal stretch of Gaza, half the size of county Louth, with massive damage to its buildings, factories, croplands, and industries.

Egyptian-brokered truce efforts collapsed last week with both sides blaming each other after Palestinian fighters launched rockets into Israel.

Mr Flanagan said the EU could play a bigger role in peace brokering between the sides and that Ireland was particularly in a position to facilitate negotiations.

“I feel there is a role for Ireland and Britain and our EU membership, having regard to our experience of what was a deep-seated political problem in Northern Ireland, resulting in an unacceptable level of violence and death for 30 years which ultimately resulted in the Good Friday Agreement,” said Mr Flanagan.

“This resulted in an end to the violence and a negotiated settlement.

“We can give our expertise and our experience to the Israelis and the Palestinians, to both governments.”

In a wide-ranging interview with the Irish Examiner, Mr Flanagan said he had been to Israel but that he may have an opportunity sometime in the future to visit Gaza.

“For a viable Palestinian state, there will have to be the lifting of the blockade,” he said. “There will have to be arrangements made on the matter of their own port, giving rise to a situation where the Palestinians and Israelis can co-exist side by side and where there can be a level of trade and commerce.”

“In order for a viable Palestinian state to exist, there need to be tough compromises on the part of Israel.

“There also need to be a cessation of the violence acts by Hamas. Hamas must agree to disarm, must agree to desist from the rocket fire in return for which Israel will lift the blockade.”

Ireland would also “not be found wanting” if there was a request to accept injured children from Gaza for treatment here, he said.

Mr Flanagan said an ambition of his was also to improve trade relations with other states, which will be enhanced with the opening of new embassies in Asia and Africa among places.

“I want to see situations where our missions abroad are more than just places where you go to if you lose a passport or fall off a motorbike,” he said.

A review of Ireland’s foreign affairs policy is near completion

Mr Flanagan will meet with former US senator Gary Hart this week, who has been sent here by US secretary of State, in a bid to help restart peace talks in the North.