The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs has said that the EU and President Trump could both work to put pressure on Israel to end the war in Gaza.
Speaking at the start of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Simon Harris said there were two imminent diplomatic opportunities to exert pressure on Israel - a vote by EU countries on a trade sanctions package, and a meeting between Arab states and President Trump due to take place here tomorrow.
"What could be really, really helpful now is if European countries actually voted to take economic action against Israel, and that could change the calculus," he said.
"I think the second thing that could be important this week is a meeting that Arab states are due to have with the President of the United States on Tuesday, I believe, having discussed this with some Arab states yesterday.
"President Trump is somebody who has said he doesn't like war. He said he likes peace, and well as a chance to show it. And I think there's a real opportunity here.
"If President Trump can listen and engage with the Arab states, you can actually have a viable plan for a two-state solution that doesn't involve Hamas or any other horrific, illegal terrorist organization.
"If he can do that, and if Europe can take economic action, I think there are two concrete moves that could be taken, or that we could at least build a bit of momentum towards."
Asked about why he wanted the European Council to vote on EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen's proposals, Mr Harris said: "I don't wish to be part of a coalition of inaction. I want to have an opportunity to democratically vote at a council of Foreign Affairs ministers on behalf of the people of Ireland.
"I think it could be quite fascinating if those proposals are actually put on the table, and Member States have to say yay or nay, because I think the populations of a lot of these countries want their governments to work to end the genocide.
"There's a risk now that we're using terms like genocide as though they're technical terms or famine, that they are somewhat becoming normalized. The use of these means that there's efforts underway to wipe out civilian populations. It means children are being left to starve today. It means that children are having their limbs amputated without anesthetics, as I was told last night.
"So in my view, it's great that more countries are here recognizing Palestine. I don't, in any way, dismiss that. I'm a huge supporter of Palestinian recognition. It's good that other countries are now doing what Ireland did over a year ago, but it's nowhere near enough."
Israel increase military operations following Palestinian State recognition
Mr Harris noted that the increasing number of countries recognizing the Palestinian State coincides with an upswing in military operations by Israel.
"As you're seeing more countries recognize the state of Palestine, you are seeing even more aggression from Israel," he said.
"I think it is deeply offensive that the Palestinian Authority are not represented here at UN high level week, that there's actually going to be a conference about a two state solution in which one of the states isn't present. I mean, that's illogical. It's offensive, and it's a dangerous precedent.
"What can be done, though, is a lot of the steps that are underway, I think for the European Union to take concrete economic actions that apply economic pressure to Netanyahu.
"I think President Trump will listen and engage with Arab nations, many of whom he has a very good relationship with, many of whom he visited recently, and to listen to them. I think often in this country, in the United States, the view of the day after in Gaza is misrepresented here - there's no role for Hamas.
"Arab states are very clear, and the Palestinian Authority is very clear. There is no role for Hamas in the future, because there can't be.
"If President Trump could have meaningful engagement with the Arab states, plus, I think if the European Union could take concrete actions, I think they could be two very important measures alongside the recognition steps that many countries are taking."
Mr Harris will attend a number of other meetings today, including the launch of Ireland's campaign for membership of the Human Rights Council, and a meeting with the head of aid agency UNWRA.
He will also join his Estonian counterpart, Margus Tsahkna, in a meeting after Estonia asked that the issue of Russian incursion into Estonian airspace be considered by the Security Council.
"This is a third incursion to European airspace in recent times. We obviously had Poland, Romania and now Estonia, it's absolutely clear that the strategy towards engaging with Putin that the United States have put forward isn't working," said Mr Harris.
"Therefore we now need to see the EU and the US consider sanctions that can be taken against Putin's Russia. That is the only way, I believe, to bring Putin to any sort of peace negotiating table about that," he added.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr Tsahkna read a statement on behalf of 50 member states, including Ireland, calling the overflight an "outrageous violation" of Estonia’s territorial integrity.
"It is part of the wider pattern of Russian provocations against its neighbours, while a permanent member of the Security Council continues to full scale invasion of Ukraine," he said.
"Russia's reckless actions represent not only a breach of international law, but also the stabilizing escalation that brings the entire region closer to conflict that at any time in recent years".
Following the incursion last week, Estonia invoked Article 4 of NATO, which triggers consultations among members.
Addressing the emergency session, the UK foreign minister Yvette Cooper called Russia’s actions "reckless" and "dangerous".
"They risk miscalculation," she said, "they open the door to direct armed confrontation between NATO and Russia".
"NATO's combined strength is unparalleled, and its determination to defend peace and security in Europe is unshakable," she added.
In a message to President Putin of Russia she said: "be under no illusion, we stand ready to take all steps necessary to defend NATO skies and NATO's territory".
Asked by RTÉ News ahead of the meeting about the perception among some UN member states of European double standards, for acting quickly to impose sanctions on Russia on Ukraine but not on Israel over Gaza, Mr Tsahkna said Europe was "not guilty of double standards" and has been very clear about "international law and international principles" under the United Nations Charter.
