Israel: Oslo Agreements (Hansard, 27 February 1997)

§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)
My Lords, we continue to press for the full implementation of all existing agreements. I hope that the parties will make swift and concrete progress in tackling outstanding issues from the interim agreement, including safe passage between Gaza and the West Bank for Palestinian workers and goods.

§ Lord Hylton
My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for her reply and I welcome the visit to London of President Weizman. But what are Her Majesty's Government doing to prevent the fragmentation of the West Bank by Israeli roadblocks, the separation and division of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza and the hemming in of East Jerusalem by a ring of illegal settlements, of which Har Homa is the latest?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, we have made representations over many months on each and all of these points. At our suggestion the European Union special envoy, Ambassador Moratinos, is carrying out with the Israeli authorities and the Palestinians a rapid study of the problems facing the Palestinians, particularly with regard to their economy. It is urgent that this is done. A constructive dialogue is going on on how to lift the barriers while safeguarding Israel's need for security. These matters have also been mentioned in discussions with President Weizman during what has been a happy and successful State visit this week to this country.

§ Baroness Blackstone
My Lords, following the totally unacceptable decision by the Israeli Government yesterday to extend Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem, thereby jeopardising the peace process, can the Minister tell the House what use the Government and our European Union partners now intend to make 1276 of the association agreement, which went through this House last week, to put pressure on the Israeli Government?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, the fact that we now have an association agreement is a very good further vehicle besides the work that Ambassador Moratinos has started. The noble Baroness may have noticed that the Foreign Secretary made a Statement about Har Homa yesterday in which we made the Government's view absolutely clear—that all settlement building in the occupied territories remains against international law. That is particularly true in the sensitive case of Jerusalem. I agree with the noble Baroness. It risks damaging the peace process by pre-empting the final stages of negotiations.
But it is not enough to criticise. We have to use every avenue at our disposal to persuade the Israeli Government not to proceed with these plans. They will only detract from the positive atmosphere that was established by the Hebron agreement and the Israeli Government will, if they go ahead with these plans, undermine the establishment of that vital trust which will be necessary for the further negotiations with the Palestinians to be concluded successfully. We hope that the Israeli authorities will take account of the views, genuinely meant, of their friends and suspend this decision.

§ Lord Redesdale
My Lords, is the Minister aware of any difficulties in getting ODA humanitarian assistance into Gaza, as has happened in the past?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, we had problems at the end of last year and at the beginning of this year. However, I am glad to say that, following a meeting I had with senior Israeli officials and with UNRWA on my visit to Israel and to the Palestinian Authority in January this year, we now have a system of taking up with the Israeli authorities any of the impediments to the passage of goods or staff seeking to help bring about peace, which is so urgently needed in Israel and in the Palestinian Authority.

§ Lord Hylton
My Lords, the noble Baroness mentioned requests made to the Government of Israel and she herself has had conversations with them. Can she tell the House whether any assurances have been obtained following those requests?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, it is difficult to turn round quickly decisions taken by the Government of another sovereign country. What I see is a change in the attitude of the authorities on some of the issues which we have raised with them. By no means have we solved all the problems we encounter—and the Palestinians certainly encounter major problems—but there is now a willingness and a method of working which frankly did not exist before the Foreign Secretary made his visit to Israel and to the Palestinian Authority in November last year.