Middle East (Hansard, 14 October 2003)

§ 2. Mike Gapes (Ilford, South)
If he will make a statement on prospects for a comprehensive peace settlement in the Middle East. [131999]

§ The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Jack Straw)
With partners in the European Union, the United States, Russia and the United Nations, we continue to work for a comprehensive settlement based on the quartet road map. That sets out clearly what needs to be done to establish two states, Israel and Palestine, which can then live side by side in peace and with security. However, prospects for a comprehensive settlement have been set back recently 4 by severe internal dissension within the Palestinian Authority, unlawful actions by Israel including assassinations and the building of the security wall on Palestinian land—and, above all, by continued terrorism by rejectionist groups.

§ Mike Gapes
Today, we have seen a report that secret negotiations have been going on for two and a half years between leading Palestinian and Israeli politicians, including Yossi Beilin, Yasser Abed Rabbo and Amram Mitzna. Will my right hon. Friend take this opportunity to welcome all contacts between Israelis and Palestinians designed to get out of the useless and terrible cycle of violence and back to politics, negotiation and compromise?

§ Mr. Straw
I will indeed, and I commend the courage of all of those involved, especially Yossi Beilin and Yasser Abed Rabbo, whom my hon. Friend mentioned. The plan provides a realistic two-state solution, on the basis of land for peace. It is similar to that which was negotiated at Taba, under a different Israeli Cabinet and Government, and it deserves support. The fact that it may not receive support illustrates one of the profound frustrations of the current situation, in which solid majorities in both communities are desperate for peace and security, but neither side's political leaders know how to get there at present. We recognise our duty to assist them in every way we can, but the auguries are not encouraging at the moment.

§ Mr. Crispin Blunt (Reigate)
On the security wall, is the Foreign Secretary familiar with the Israeli military order issued on 2 October, which closes all the land between the security wall and the 1967 border? The order states that free access to the closed zone will only he allowed to Israelis, defined as Israeli citizens, Israeli residents and anyone allowed to immigrate to Israel. However it requires Palestinian residents of the closed zone to obtain permits to live in their homes, farm their land and travel. Is not such behaviour by the Israeli Government not only outrageous, but self-defeating in terms of achieving peace? Will the Foreign Secretary make his concerns known directly to the Israeli ambassador?

§ Mr. Straw
I have already said that we regard the building of the wall on Palestinian land as unlawful. No one can have any objection to any sovereign state building a wall or fence along its international border, but that is wholly different from building a wall or fence on someone else's territory. It is Palestinian land, and the building of the wall will have many of the consequences that the hon. Gentleman mentioned. Anybody who is unconcerned about the building of the wall and its effects needs to look at a map of the route that it has taken. We have indeed made our concerns well known, both to the Israeli ambassador and to the Israeli Government.

§ James Purnell (Stalybridge and Hyde)
I welcome the efforts that my right hon. Friend has made to prevent 5 funding from reaching Hamas. Is Syria continuing to fund terrorist groups and what more can be done to reduce such funding?

§ Mr. Straw
I am grateful to my hon. Friend. Following a lead given by Germany and ourselves, we were able to secure an asset freeze against Hamas across the European Union, in addition to action that we have taken in this country under the Terrorism Act 2000. However, we remain concerned about the overt and covert support given to rejectionist terrorist groups by the Government of Syria. It is unacceptable and is not in Syria's long-term interests.

§ Mr. Alan Duncan (Rutland and Melton)
Following what the Foreign Secretary has just said and as my right hon. Friend the Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram) can confirm from his days as a Northern Ireland Minister, the hard and unpalatable truth of conflict of that nature is that it makes sense to develop direct contacts with organisations deemed to be terrorist. Even with the collapse of the road map—or, even more crucially, because of it—it may be useful to talk to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Will the Foreign Secretary comment on newspaper reports that efforts by the UK and EU to maintain a dialogue with such organisations have been terminated? Will he confirm that any successful path to peace requires dialogue and discussion at all levels and with all parties involved in the dispute, however uncomfortable that might feel?

§ Mr. Straw
Of course, if we are to resolve a conflict, we have to bring the parties who wish to resolve it to the negotiating table. That is what we did in Northern Ireland, and we have also assisted the Norwegian Government to do that in respect of Sri Lanka. However, there is no point in having a dialogue with groups that make it clear that they have murderous intent and which are seeking simply to blow up any prospect of peace. There was every opportunity for Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah to support the road map for peace and their own Palestinian Authority when that was promulgated at the end of June. They failed to do so, and displayed a wilful desire to disrupt and undermine the elected Palestinian Government. However, their planting of terrorist bombs in Jerusalem on 19 August was the single most important cause of the breakdown of progress on the road map.

§ Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield)
I welcome what my right hon. Friend has said about the security wall. It is not only illegal—it runs counter to the road map and to the Geneva accords announced yesterday. Given that, and the fact that Israel is continuing to build the wall, what can be done in practice to put pressure on the Sharon Government to cease that work? If construction continues on the route that is currently planned, peace agreements will be made irrelevant. We must not allow that to happen.

§ Mr. Straw
As I have made clear, we disagree with the Israeli Government's decision to build the wall. We consider its building on Palestinian land to be unlawful and unacceptable, but it must be understood that the decision to build the wall was not an abstract one. It arose from a profound sense of fear among people in 6 Israel and from their belief that they have to protect their security. That does not make the decision lawful or justifiable in our view, but it does explain it. If we want to see an end to such actions and to get the road map back on track, the first and essential precondition is for Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the other rejectionist terrorist groups to announce a ceasefire and give up the idea that it will be possible to help the Palestinians to achieve a peaceful and secure future through the sort of terrible and rejectionist terror that those groups adopt. I also make it clear that the rejectionist terror adopted by Hamas and Islamic Jihad undermines very significantly the 90 per cent. or so of people in the occupied territories who support the Palestinian Authority and who want a peaceful route through.