It is a drab Thursday afternoon and Tánaiste and Minister for Foriegn Affairs Simon Harris has returned to his first floor office at Government Buildings, following a UK-Ireland summit in Liverpool that morning.
I have just asked him if he would like to visit Israel at a time when the diplomatic relations between the two countries are at rock bottom.
The answer is unequivocal, yes, but Mr Harris then entered a caveat.
He said that any visit should take place “at the right time” where there had be an opportunity to have what he termed “meaningful engagement”.
Despite the tempering, this is a statement of intent.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs…