§ Mr. TynanTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with(a) the Israeli 809W Government and (b) the Palestinian authority regarding the protection of Commonwealth war graves. [178584]
§ Mr. CaplinNeither my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, nor the Secretary of State for Defence has had discussions on this subject with the Israeli Government. However, the Consul-General in Jerusalem has raised the vandalism of the Commonwealth War Graves at Gaza War Cemetery on Sunday 9 May with the Palestinian authority, which has undertaken to investigate.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission views the recent vandalism at Gaza War Cemetery as an isolated incident. Officials at local level within the Israeli Government and the Palestinian authority have given the Commission assurances that there is continuing respect for their cemeteries among the local population.