House of Commons · Westminster Hall
17 November 2021 · 12 other contributors · 8,216 words
Opened by Tahir Ali Lab Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley
Responding minister: Vicky Ford
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Tahir Ali raised concerns about palestine: road map to peace in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
I urge the government to use sanctions as leverage over Israel to ensure respect for Palestinian human and civil rights and return of all illegally seized land. I also advocate for the UK to recognise Palestine as a state, which is imperative for achieving a two-state solution and advancing the peace process.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
The long-standing conflict between Israel and Palestine remains one of the greatest foreign policy challenges faced by the UK. The most recent round of violence resulted in countless lives lost, driven by illegal evictions in east Jerusalem and the growth of illegal Israeli settlements on the West Bank and Golan Heights. These injustices continue to make peace impossible.
The speaker questioned the Government's response to new Israeli settlements, settler violence against Palestinians, trade with illegal settlements, banning NGOs in Palestine, and demolitions and evictions of Palestinian homes.
Andy McDonald pointed to ongoing Israeli construction in Palestinian areas as undermining the viability of a Palestinian state, highlighting incidents of settler violence against Palestinians and the expropriation of land. He cited Human Rights Watch reports linking these actions to systematic oppression and apartheid.
Concerned about the ongoing conflict in Palestine, Florence Eshalomi highlighted issues such as home demolitions, evictions, illegal settlements, and poor treatment of children in detention. She emphasised that peace is unattainable with continued discrimination and suppression.
The speaker argued for unconditional recognition of the state of Palestine and highlighted issues such as the occupation of the West Bank, the siege of Gaza leading to high unemployment and mental health problems among residents, and illegal settlements taking land and water from Palestinian farmers.
The MP expressed concern over Israel's decision to criminalise six Palestinian human rights organisations and emphasised the importance of supporting civil society in Palestine, citing examples like Human Rights Watch working under threat of deportation.
He expressed concern about the impact of ignoring Israel's history and the attacks it has faced. He criticised early-day motion 300, which calls for the UK not to sell arms to Israel, arguing that this is incongruous when considering the defence systems like Iron Dome funded by military aid. Jim Shannon called for Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Palestinian Authority to accept Israel's right to exist and for peace talks without preconditions. I raise the point that Israel is surrounded by enemies and faces regular rocket and terrorist attacks, suggesting that protecting Israeli people must come first before other actions can take place.
She emphasised the importance of establishing trust for genuine dialogue to progress towards a two-state solution. Kim Leadbeater condemned the Israeli Government's attack on six leading civil society organisations and called for an end to the blockade of Gaza, highlighting the denial of healthcare and human rights for Palestinians.
He questioned the effectiveness of the road map to peace, noting that settler numbers in the West Bank have increased from approximately 50,000 in 2003 to close to half a million now. He argued that Israeli Prime Ministers since then have been more interested in a one-state solution than a two-state solution. I ask if our goal should be for the Biden Administration to play a major role in pressuring Israel against settlement expansion plans that damage prospects for a two-state solution.
He asked if Jim Shannon agreed that Israel must stop the blockade of Gaza so health authorities can provide proper healthcare and vaccinations, given the rising cases of covid-19 in Gaza and its broken health system.
Steve McCabe argued that the debate seemed more like setting conditions for peace rather than facilitating it, expressing concern about recognising Palestine given its complex governance situation and the influence of Hamas. He also questioned those who support the destruction of Israel while calling for a two-state solution.
I am concerned that the Israeli state is occupying Palestinian lands, engaging in settler colonization, ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem, and systematically trying to deny Palestinians' political representation. I argue that the Government must take action by implementing UN resolution 2334, recognising Palestine as a state, and addressing Israel's breaches of international law.
Mr. David emphasised the need for a negotiated peace and adherence to international law, condemning Israel's designation of six NGOs as terrorist organisations. He urged the Government to respond firmly on this issue and to support UNRWA despite funding cuts from $76.2 million in 2019 to $39.1 million projected for 2021. Asked the Minister about her decision on the designation of six non-governmental organisations by Israelis, questioning how long she will wait before making a decision.
Government Response
Vicky FordIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Rees. I am grateful to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hall Green (Tahir Ali) for securing this important debate. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa would have liked to take part in this debate, but he is currently representing the UK at the ad hoc liaison committee in Oslo, where he is meeting the Palestinian Prime Minister and the Israeli Minister for Regional Cooperation, as well as the Egyptian and Jordanian Foreign Ministers. The UK's position on the middle east peace process is long standing and well known, supporting a negotiated settlement leading to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as a shared capital. We condemn Hamas's indiscriminate rocket attacks, but Israel does have a legitimate right to self-defence; however, all actions must be proportionate and in line with international humanitarian law. The UK remains resolute in its commitment to Israel's security. Goods imported from the settlements are not permitted to benefit from trade preferences under the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement. We remain concerned about the ongoing humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which was further exacerbated by the recent conflict and damage to civilian infrastructure. The UK is contributing £3.5 million to the emergency appeal in May to meet the immediate needs of Palestinians in Gaza who were affected by the conflict at that time. We urge access into and out of Gaza for humanitarian actors, reconstruction materials, and those travelling for medical purposes. We also make it clear to Israel that human rights and civil society organisations have a vital role to play in developing thriving and open societies.