Israel/Palestine (Hansard, 19 November 2003)

§ Dr. Jenny Tonge
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the UK representative on the UN Security Council abstained in the vote on 14 October on the resolution declaring illegal the Israeli construction of a security wall in the occupied territories of Palestine. [138664]

§ Mr. Rammell
We did not consider the resolution put to the Security Council on Israel's construction of a fence or wall in the West Bank reflected accurately the situation on the ground. It did not condemn suicide bombings and therefore did not acknowledge Israel's real security concerns. As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said in the House on 14 October 2003,Official Report, column 3—4, we regard the building of the wall on Palestinian land as unlawful, and we have serious concerns about its impact. But we judged that the text before the Security Council would not help implementation of the roadmap, and so we abstained.
The resolution subsequently put to an Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly realistically focused on the fence's negative impact on the peace process and local population. European Union proposals for a more balanced text were accepted in General Assembly negotiations and the UK, with our EU Partners, voted for that resolution.

§ Dr. Tonge
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli Government concerning the status of Palestinians living between the Green Line and the new security fence in the Occupied Territories. [138673]

§ Mr. Rammell
My noble Friend the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean raised our concerns about the "Closed Zone" between the fence and the Green Line on 22 October with the Israeli Ambassador, and on 29 October with the Israeli Minister for National Infrastructure.
The implementation of this order will have grave consequences for Palestinians who live between the fence and the 1967 border, and those who farm land in this area. We are in close touch with the US and other allies to ensure that Israel understands the opposition of the wider international community to the route of the fence.