Visiting Irish FM defends Dublin’s Mideast policies after Netanyahu rebuke

Visiting Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney defends his government’s Mideast policies, a day after Netanyahu rebuked him for Ireland’s traditional support of Palestinians.

In a meeting with President Reuven Rivlin, Coveney says his country’s own troubled history drives Dublin’s foreign policy, saying Ireland “wants to b e helpful” in solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“I know there is an impression here that Ireland takes a different position to Israel. Can I say that in essence though, we are yearning for the same thing that I think the vast majority of Israelis are, which is a peaceful future,” Coveney says after holding a working meeting with Rivlin.

“We have experienced a lot of violence on our own island, and we are still working on a peace process,” he says, adding that “the reason that Irish people are so interested in the Israeli-Palestinian relationship and conflict is because we have had a violent past ourselves, and we see this as one of the great conflicts and divisions in the world.”

“My reason for being here – the first visit I have made as foreign minister outside Europe – is despite what people may sometimes feel about Ireland, we do care about this region, and want to be helpful,” Coveney concludes.

Yesterday, Netanyahu “expressed his dissatisfaction over Ireland’s traditional stance,” telling Coveney that “his country does not condemn Palestinians for incitement and for glorifying those who commit terrorist attacks.”