Middle East

HC Deb 03 July 1972 vol 840 cc13-5

9. Mr. Clinton Davis

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he now has to seek to pay official visits to countries in the Middle East.

Mr. Godber

My right hon. Friend has no such plans at present.

Mr. Davis

Does the right hon. Gentleman think that it is a pity that he is not going to Israel, for example, so that he could explain to the Israeli Government how it came about that Britain sponsored an inequitable and selective resolution at the Security Council which condemned Israel for taking steps to safeguard herself against gangster attacks from the Lebanon and yet at the same time had not a word to say about the massacre at Lod?

Mr. Godber

My right hon. Friend visited Israel in April. The Security Council resolution to which the hon. Gentleman refers was directed towards the attacks made by Israel against Lebanon during the preceding days. Her Majesty's Government felt it right to participate in this. It is not correct to say that there was no reference to other matters, because paragraph 2 of the resolution profoundly deplored all acts of violence, obviously including the Lod affair.

Sir Gilbert Longden

Would it not have been better for the Government to include a specific condemnation of the guerrillas for what they have done and a specific injunction upon them not to repeat it?

Mr. Godber

Her Majesty's Government's view on this is that these are matters in relation to sovereign States. This resolution was not directed to guerrilla activities but to the action of one State against another, which must be put in a different category. This is an important distinction to maintain. We have, however, made clear our attitude with regard to the Lod incident. My right hon. Friend has expressed in this House the horror of this Government and our sympathy with those concerned. There is this distinction, however, which I must draw.

Mr. Kaufman

Will the right hon. Gentleman make a statement in the House about the discussions his Department has been having with the Palestine Liberation Organisation about the establishment by that organisation of an office in London? Will he say who authorised his officials to have discussions with these thugs and murderers and what guidance was given to them by his officials in the light of the overwhelming public opposition in this country to the establishment of such an office in London?

Mr. Godber

There are a great many misstatements in that question. We had better get down to the facts. The facts, quite simply, are that Her Majesty's Government have not given any direct accord to the establishment of an office and that under British law there is no means of preventing any organisation from establishing an office in this country.

Mr. Arthur Lewis

What about the lady who threw ink over the Prime Minister?

Mr. Godber

There are no means of preventing anyone from establishing an office here, and in fact all sorts of different organisations have done so. The only question which arises for the Foreign Office is that of official recognition or diplomatic status. There is no question of according either to this organisation.

Mr. Grylls

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that there is great public disquiet about this matter? If it is difficult to act against this organisation opening offices in London within the present framework of the law, will he find a way of changing the law to ensure that this does not happen?

Mr. Godber

A change in the law would be required to make a distinction of that kind, but it would be a matter for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary. It is certainly not a matter for my Department.

Mr. Callaghan

Although there may be argument about whether the organisation should be established here, can the right hon. Gentleman assure us that the question of admission of any individual to man such an office will be scrutinised by the Home Office as carefully in the future as has happened in the past? May we be assured that there will be no departure from the policy of refusing to admit anyone who has used violence in connection with political activities?

Mr. Godber

The right hon. Gentleman will recognise that this is another Department's responsibility and that it is difficult for me to answer precisely. However, I have no reason whatever to believe that the policy would be any different from that established by his own Government and by mine and that the question of individals who might man offices here would be very closely scrutinised.

Mr. Davis

On a point of order. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible moment.