Israeli Ambassador to Ireland Ophir Kariv has hit out at what he called "spats of hate" during a meeting of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee this morning.

He said that, while he wished to "be careful" in drawing parallels between Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Irish history, people in Ireland should be aware of the importance of "listening to both sides".

Former Justice Minister Alan Shatter was also speaking before the committee as a supporter of the Ireland-Israel Alliance and as chairman of Magen David Adom Ireland, which supports the emergency services in Israel.

He joined us along with Sinn Féin TD John Brady to discuss the situation further.