THE Israeli ambassador to Ireland has defended the opening of the archaeological tunnel near the Dome of the Rock mosque which has sparked the latest violence in the Middle East, but the Palestinian representative in Ireland has accused Israel of deliberately threatening the sovereignty of Jerusalem.
In a heated debate, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs heard presentations from both sides yesterday, and calls were made for the Irish presidency to push for a greater EU role in the crisis.
The Israeli ambassador, Mr Zvi Gabay, faced hostile questions from the committee after arguing that Israel's action was "part of an ongoing effort to reveal major archaeological finds" and increase tourism.
Senator David Norris (Ind) said that Israel should be sensitive to feelings about the tunnel. It was not realistic to argue that tourism was an overwhelming consideration. Ordinary Israelis" were horrified by what was happening, the peace process was bogged down in "endless futile camera diplomacy" and there was no point in reiterating a commitment to peace unless clear dates were given.
Mr Gabay argued that the Israeli government was committed to the peace process. He said that blaming Israel for the violence was a "total distortion of the facts" and he called on the Palestinian Council to restore calm.
The Fianna Fail spokesman on foreign affairs, Mr Ray Burke, said that the perception in Ireland was that the new Israeli government had "shown very little thought of the rights and ambitions of the Palestinian people". He said that Israel had friends in Ireland, but they should not be expected to believe that Mr Benjamin Netanyahu was as committed to the peace process as his predecessor.
Mr Alan Shatter (FG) warned against drawing "simplistic conclusions from a distant perspective".
The Palestinian representative in Ireland, Dr Yousef Allen, said that the opening of the tunnel was Mr Netanyahu's attempt to reassert Israel's sovereignty over Jerusalem. A week before the latest outbreak of violence, the Israeli authorities had demolished a Palestinian community centre in the city, and Palestinians were being refused permission to build homes in East Jerusalem.
Dr Allen said that Palestinians were increasingly frustrated with the pace of change. "Don't push us to the corner, because pushing us into a corner will make us explode and make the whole region explode with us", he added.
