THE Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs ended his whistle stop visit to the Middle East with a call for immediate "concrete steps to show the world that the peace process is still on track".
Mr Spring's call reflected the strong sense Irish officials have taken from this visit of a chasm of mistrust between the Arabs and Israelis that can only be bridged by deeds, most specifically early Israeli moves on withdrawing troops from Hebron.
Yesterday, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators began talks at the border town of Erez.
Mr Spring's words were echoed by the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Mr Amr Moussa, who told journalists they needed more than assurances for the cameras".
The Tanaiste, who met Mr Moussa in Cairo and then President Hosni Mubarak in Ismailia before flying home late last night, heard of Cairo's fears that the process was unravelling.
Egypt's clear alienation from the process from which it has significantly distanced itself in recent days is viewed with alarm by European diplomats as Cairo's leadership is crucial to maintaining moderate Arab support for the process.
Mr Moussa strongly welcomed EU involvement in the region, both economically and politically, but stopped short of endorsing the call from the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mr Yasser Arafat, for a seat for the EU at Erez. Europe would have to decide for itself at what level its commitment would be, Mr Moussa said.
Officials here are less worried about the seat at the table for the Erez talks than about devising a "hands on" mandate for the special envoy the European heads of government have agreed to appoint.
That role was also discussed by the Tanaiste and the US Secretary of State, Mr Warren Christopher, over dinner on Sunday night in a Jerusalem restaurant.
Mr Christopher is understood to have been reassured by Mr Spring that the EU sees its role as complementary, not aimed at supplementing the US.
"There is a clear understanding on both parts," Mr Spring said later, "that the process cannot be started without the Americans and that if it falls apart we end up holding the baby.
For his part, Mr Christopher pledged to maintain a close liaison with the EU on US political assessments and strategies, diplomatic sources say. He is also understood to have expressed some concern and mystification at Israeli intentions.
Indeed, Mr Christopher may be finding that the repeated insistence by Israel that it does not need any mediators or arbitrators in its talks with the Palestinians - one of the genuine legacies of the Oslo peace process which left the US firmly on the sidelines - is genuinely meant.
Israel may be leaving the US only a frustrating role as conference convenor.
Some EU diplomats say they are concerned that Israel has decided on a policy of brinkmanship, pushing the process to the wire before making concessions a recipe, they warn, for potential mayhem.
In the Palestinian West Bank, food is being hoarded and police stations barricaded against possible attack by Israel. The question on the ground is not whether but when the violence will resume.
A Jerusalem Post cartoonist summed it up yesterday: one man tells another: "They are talking again, it's great." The other replies: "Talking is one thing. It would be great if they were listening.
