Middle East (Hansard, 17 February 1969)

§ 2. Mr. Mayhew
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further steps he is taking to secure a settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict in line with the Security Council resolution of November, 1967.

§ 18. Mr. St. John-Stevas
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the latest situation in the Middle East.

§ 45. Mr. Leadbitter
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the present situation in the Middle East.

50. Mr. Colin Jackson
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further progress Her Majesty's Government have made in securing a Middle East settlement in accordance with the Resolution of the Security Council in November, 1967.

§ 66. Mr. Walters
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the present situation in the Middle East.

§ 74. Mr. Moonman
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on the current situation in the Middle East.

§ 80. Sir B. Janner
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the present position in the Middle East.

§ 81. Mr. Goodhart
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on the Middle East situation.

§ The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Michael Stewart)
We expect the representatives of the four permanent members of the Security Council to meet to discuss this in the near future.
The preliminary discussions referred to by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on 10th February are already in progress. [Vol. 777, c. 874.]

§ Mr. Mayhew
Will the Foreign Secretary agree that the resolution cannot be implemented if Israel continues in her refusal to withdraw from conquered Arab territories? Would it not greatly help and encourage Israel in her refusal if she were to be sold British arms for use in these conquered territories, and would 8 not my right hon. Friend agree, therefore, that the sale of British arms at this time to Israel for use in conquered Arab territories would be highly dangerous and unprincipled?

§ Mr. Stewart
Clearly, the resolution cannot be fully carried out without withdrawal because withdrawal is part of the resolution; so, of course, are a great many other things. We must consider applications about arms on their merits, but it has been our object all the time to urge on both parties the importance of doing everything that will show their willingness to carry out all parts of the resolution.

§ Mr. St. John-Stevas
Will the Foreign Secretary assure the House that he will not be intimidated by Gaullist bullying from continuing his efforts to co-ordinate European policy towards the Middle East, and, in particular, that he will not allow the conference of W.E.U. later this week to be called off?

§ Mr. Stewart
I think that really arises on the next Question.

Mr. Jackson
Does the Foreign Secretary not agree that there is a distinction between the supply of arms for domestic self-defence and the supply of arms which might be used, for example, in the occupied territories against the Arab peoples? Surely there is a difference between the two?

§ Mr. Stewart
There is a difference, of course. This is one of many factors which we have to take into account in all transactions relating to arms.

§ Mr. Thorpe
Will the Foreign Secretary give an undertaking that in any four-Power meeting he will raise again the matter contained in his declaration of June, 1967, calling for a complete suspension of armament supplies by all nations to the Middle East? Will he confirm or deny that it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to sell Centurion tanks to Israel? Whilst Israel undoubtedly has the right to defend herself, will this not make our own position as arbitrators in the Security Council very much more difficult?

§ Mr. Stewart
It has never been the practice to make pronouncements on particular transactions, but we have previously expressed our desire to have a 9 general restriction on arms supplies and our willingness to take part. I have no doubt that this will come up in the Four Power conversations.

§ Mr. Shinwell
May we have an assurance from my right hon. Friend that in any peace-keeping with which Her Majesty's Government are associated it must be clearly understood that no one from any of the Arab countries will be allowed to interfere with the underpants of a British soldier?

§ 3. Mr. Mayhew
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will initiate discussions with Italy, France and other Western European countries with a view to co-ordinating policies towards the Arab-Israeli conflict.

§ 68. Mr. Wingfield Digby
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the special meeting of Western European Union Ministers he called in London for Friday, 14th February.

§ Mr. M. Stewart
As I said on 13th February, I asked for a meeting of the Permanent Council of Western European Union on 14th February because there was only limited time for discussion on the Middle East at the Western European Union Ministerial meeting at Luxembourg on 6th and 7th February. We felt that there would be advantage in having a fuller opportunity to consult our friends in Europe in greater depth in view of the forthcoming meeting of the four permanent members of the Security Council. Our hopes that the meeting on 14th February would be positively useful were fully justified, and this view was entirely shared by our European partners.—[Vol. 777, c. 1566–7.]

§ Mr. Mayhew
While thanking the Foreign Secretary for his prompt action following the appearance of this Question on the Order Paper, may I ask him whether these European countries, in order to encourage Israel to withdraw, might lot consider making a special contribution within the United Nations to Israel's security on her old frontiers?

§ Mr. Stewart
That clearly is a matter that European countries could consider, and it was not necessarily in this connection but because the peace of the Middle 10 East is of concern to so many European countries that I thought it was right to have these consultations.

§ Mr. Walters
Is the Foreign Secretary aware, however, that if he wishes to coordinate the policy and also maintain British influence in the Middle East, which is growing at the moment, it would be a great mistake to supply arms now to Israel?

§ Mr. Stewart
I am noting, of course, what hon. Members are saying in this matter.

§ Sir B. Janner
Will my right hon. Friend, in discussing these matters, take into consideration the fact that the U.S.S.R. has been supplying vast quantities of arms to the Arabs and, in the event of discussions taking place, that the U.S.S.R. itself sent a resolution to the Assembly some years ago stating that if in countries saboteurs are trained the country which it is proposed to be attacked has the right not only to react against the offending State but to regard the matter as an act of aggression?

§ Mr. Stewart
Yes, I am aware of this, and anything that is done on arms will be most useful if it can be done by joint action between the Powers.

§ Mr. Digby
Will the Foreign Secretary resist any attacks on the Secretary-General of W.E.U. because of the calling of this successful meeting last Friday?

§ Mr. Stewart
Yes, Sir, and I think that would be the view of all the other members of W.E.U.

§ Mr. Speaker
Mr. Winnick.

§ Mr. St. John-Stevas
On a point of order. Since the Foreign Secretary declined to answer my earlier question on the ground that it arose on this Question and not on the previous one, would it not be reasonable to allow me to put my question at this stage?

§ Mr. Speaker
It would be reasonable but not in order at the moment. Mr. Winnick.