§ 17. Mr. Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton) (Con)If he will make a statement on his policy in the middle east. [144057]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Bill Rammell)The Government are fully committed to the clear objective of two states—Israel, and an independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state—living side by side in peace and security. The road map to peace remains the way to achieve this vision, as agreed by the parties and the wider international community, and as underlined in UN Security Council resolution 1515.
§ Mr. GibbAlthough we all know that the best option would be one involving no need for a security fence in 1432 Israel, does the Minister accept that since its construction there has been a marked decrease in terrorist attacks on Israel, and that most of the 14 suicide bombers who have been caught there in the past three months have come from the southern region of the West Bank, where there is no security fence?
§ Mr. RammellI fully understand the security concerns of Israel and the Israeli Government, but I do not believe that the building of a wall or fence in occupied territories helps in this regard; nor does the impact on Palestinian communities help to take matters forward. We need movement on both sides: the Palestinian Authority must tackle terrorism, and the Israeli Government must implement their commitments under phase 1 of the road map.