HC Deb 05 May 1982 vol 23 cc142-3
13. Mr. Edwin Wainwright

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any new information on the Palestine Liberation Organisation's attitude towards Israeli sovereignty.

Mr. Hurd

There have been a number of statements from PLO leaders on the subject of Israel's right to exist as an independent sovereign State, but, taken together, these statements have been neither clear nor consistent. In the contacts that we maintain with the PLO at official level, we urge it to state explicitly that in the context of a settlement it would be prepared to accept Israel's rights.

Mr. Wainwright

Is the Minister aware that on 12 January this year the political adviser to Yasser Arafat said that there was no hope of any deal being made with the Israelis and that the Arabs intended to consider the matter from the vantage point of there being no such arrangements for making peace with Israel? If that is true, what are the hopes for arriving at some solution to this delicate problem?

Mr. Hurd

We can all swap quotations. I have a series of quotations from Mr. Arafat which tend to point the other way. It simply adds up to the conclusion that I drew, which is that, sadly, the statements of the PLO on this subject have been neither clear nor consistent.

Mr. Nelson

Is it not significant that the PLO said that it will consider sympathetically any revival of the Fahd plan, which offers the first prospect of Arab agreement on an exchange of territorial concessions for the security and recognition of the State of Israel? Is there not a better prospect of a way forward being found through a revival of the Fahd plan than through a continuation of the Camp David talks?

Mr. Hurd

My hon. Friend is right. The PLO has given indications of that kind. We would like the PLO to state explicitly that if Israel recognised Palestinian self-determination, it would be prepared to accept Israel's right to exist.

Mr. Moyle

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that the Palestine Liberation Organisation's diplomatic position is severely handicapped by its unwillingness to make the statement that he has just urged it to make? Is he aware that if he continually urges the PLO to make that statement, he will have the Opposition's support?

Mr. Hurd

I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his comments.

Back to