§ 4. Dr. Julian Lewis (New Forest, East)What representations he has made to the Government of Saudi Arabia in respect of statements of support for terrorist activities. [69580]
§ The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Jack Straw)The Government of Saudi Arabia are well aware of her Majesty's Government's complete condemnation of terrorism, including suicide bombings. The Government of Saudi Arabia have made clear their rejection of terrorism, including in relation to the middle east peace process.
§ Dr. LewisI agree with everything that the Foreign Secretary said, but given that our relationship with Saudi Arabia is so sensitive and important, is he not gravely concerned that on 13 April the Saudi ambassador, Ghazi Algosaibi stated:
When the call comes for JihadThere's no need for a referendum or a Fatwa'.The Day of Jihad is the Day of Blood.";835 that on 9 July, he stated that Israeli actions on the West Bank werefar more severe than anything the Germans did when they occupied Europe in World War Two";and that on 5 June, he stated:I do not fear death—on the contrary, I long to die as a martyr, although I am at an age that does not allow me to carry out a martyrdom operation."?How sad that he cannot do it, but how sad also that he is the ambassador of that country to this one.
§ Mr. StrawAs I made clear, we disagree profoundly with the Saudi ambassador and we believe that terrorism, including suicide bombing, is to be condemned and that there is no comparison between what happened during the Nazi occupation of the whole of Europe and what is happening in Israel and the occupied territories.
§ Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby)Does my right hon. Friend agree with the following statement made earlier this year by the King of Saudi Arabia? He said:
Regardless of its origin, terrorism must be eliminated and terrorists, regardless of who they are … must be taken to justice".Does my right hon. Friend agree with that, and does he also agree that some of the acts that Israel has recently perpetrated in Gaza might amount to that sort of terrorism?
§ Mr. StrawAs I indicated in my opening statement, the Government of Saudi Arabia have made clear their rejection of terrorism, and the quotation that my hon. Friend has just read out is confirmation of that.
§ Mr. Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton)In condemning terrorist atrocities in the middle east, will my right hon. Friend condemn the two terrorist acts against Israeli Jews last week, which resulted in the loss of innocent life, and, equally, the terrorist act carried out by Israeli forces in Gaza yesterday, which resulted in the death of eight innocent children as part of a state-targeted assassination? Will my right hon. Friend ascertain that no British equipment was involved in an action that was organised, to his shame, by the Israeli Minister of Defence and leader of the Labour party?
§ Mr. StrawAs I made clear, we condemn all terrorist acts, including those to which my right hon. Friend has just referred. I issued a statement in which I said that I regard the action taken by the Israeli defence force as wholly unjustifiable and unacceptable. It is not acceptable that innocent people, especially innocent children, should be killed as a result of military operations of that kind.