Ireland has backed a proposal for an international mission of military and police observers to monitor clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces. This is the State's most significant intervention in the Middle East crisis since joining the UN Security Council earlier this year.
The Government has also advocated a closer involvement and greater engagement by the Security Council in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This would be in an effort to ease tension and facilitate attempts to revive the peace process.
Speaking in a Security Council debate in New York, Ireland's UN Ambassador, Mr Richard Ryan, said an international observer mission had the potential to help the parties in the situation, although he noted Israeli objections to the idea.
"There is no suggestion that this observer mission could prevent individual acts of terrorism," Mr Ryan said. "There is no question of it interposing itself between opposing forces, or being able to stop a riot. Neither should it be described as an incitement to violence.
"The fear has been expressed that the presence of observers would induce Palestinians to stage violent events so as to provoke repressive action. On the contrary, unlike television cameras, experienced international military and police observers would readily detect riots, stone-throwing or other forms of violence mounted with the object of inducing repression, and report accordingly to both sides."
He said that, for a long time now, the council had stood aside and left it to the parties, with the assistance of mediators, to advance the peace process and achieve a final settlement which met the interests of all sides. This time, however, "the difficulties are so serious and the international ramifications so potentially devastating".
The Government was "concerned and, indeed, horrified at the widespread use of lethal force against Palestinians, and at the failure to use sub-lethal methods", especially in the early disturbances. "Let me make clear that we also condemn in the strongest terms the ongoing attacks on Israelis. They are wrong in themselves and will do nothing to bring about the justice desired and deserved by the Palestinian people."