Palestine

Baroness Tonge Excerpts

Thursday 3rd February 2011 Lords Chamber

Asked By

[Baroness Tonge]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to recognise Palestine as a sovereign state.

[Lord Wallace of Saltaire]

My Lords, we are aware of the steps that some countries have taken in recognising the state of Palestine. However, we are clear that the only way to achieve a sovereign, viable and contiguous Palestinian state is through negotiations with Israel. Equally, the best way Israel can ensure its peace and security is through negotiations with the Palestinians. We urge both parties to return to talks urgently to reach agreement by September on all final status issues, leading to the creation of a Palestinian state.

[Baroness Tonge]

Does my noble friend agree that recent leaks about the Israel/Palestine negotiations in the past show that Israel has had no intention of making peace and continues to acquire more Palestinian land illegally, particularly in East Jerusalem? Does he also agree that, in order to put the two parties on a more equal footing, we should join the 109 countries, including Brazil, that recognise Palestine as a sovereign state and define its borders internationally as based on the Green Line? If we do not enforce this, does he agree that the two-state solution is dead and that, as a consequence, Israel’s days will be numbered?

[Lord Wallace of Saltaire]

My Lords, the noble Baroness asks a large number of questions and I will try to answer some of them. The expansion of the settlements across East Jerusalem is illegal under both international and Israeli law, and we deplore that. We recognise the current push for the recognition of a Palestinian state, but such a state needs to be in control of its own territory and to have secure borders. Palestine is still under Israeli occupation and Israel is still the occupying power.