King’s Speech

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon Excerpts

Thursday 21st May 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con)]

My Lords, we meet today at a moment of profound consequence, as we have already heard, for the Middle East and, as events have shown subsequently, for our shared future. I draw attention to my registered interests and to my work with organisations focused on conflict resolution and with the Council of Arab Ambassadors.

I begin, as did the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Houghton, from a place of hope, optimism and principle. History shows, as did my tenure as a Foreign Minister, that when courage meets conviction even the most intractable conflicts can bend towards justice and lasting peace. I will set out three truths that must guide us on this pathway to peace.

The first truth is that every life has equal worth. The death of a child in Gaza, Israel, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen or Iran diminishes us all. Our politics and actions must never become so hardened that we forget the humanity at the heart of these conflicts and crises.

Secondly, security and dignity are two sides of the same coin. Israelis and Palestinians must be able to live in peace and security, but any framework that asks for one people to mortgage their dignity so that another may feel secure will fail. A durable peace will emerge only when both peoples can see their rights, safety and aspirations reflected in equal measure. I ask the Minister to detail what is being done to stop the shocking attacks by Israeli settlers and the expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank of Palestine. What are we doing through our long-standing support for Lebanon in helping its Government to disarm Hezbollah? The Government’s response must be more than references to past sanctions or statements of condemnation. When was the last Foreign Secretary or Defence Secretary visit to Israel and Palestine? When did we last meet President Aoun of Lebanon?

The third truth is that principles matter most when they are hardest to uphold. International humanitarian law is not a menu of optional extras; it is the baseline of our common morality. The protection of civilians standing with and for survivors of sexual violence, unfettered humanitarian access and accountability for abuses are human obligations.

From these truths flows a practical path: a ceasefire respected in deed as well as word, humanitarian aid moving at scale and infrastructure being rebuilt. These are not political concessions; they are lifesaving imperatives.

I met this week with the Egyptian Foreign Minister during his visit to the UK. What is the action planned and agreed with Egypt, and indeed other partners that the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman, alluded to through the partnerships conference, in making progress in this respect?

On the security architecture, a ceasefire must be underpinned by credible security arrangements. This means co-ordinated efforts to ensure the disarmament of militant groups. It means robust border and maritime monitoring. It means the accountability of security institutions—to the law, not to the gun. What is the United Kingdom doing to deploy to the region training and defence assets?

On the political horizon, we must restore the pathway to a viable, sovereign Palestine, living in peace and security alongside Israel. It must be time-bound, with clear milestones of governance reform, economic stabilisation, security and, yes, steps that reopen Jerusalem as a shared city of faith, hope and heritage.

As we heard from the Minister, Iran has changed the dynamics. Neighbours have a stake, but we do as well. Normalisation anchored in de-escalation, reconstruction and investment can change the calculus of despair. I am sure all in this House will join me in commending the efforts of our Gulf partners—particularly Pakistan, which, as we speak today, is in Iran again through its Interior Minister to avert the restart of a war. Can the Minister share what assessments have been made on the new security and defence architecture in the Gulf, which includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye and Pakistan, and is supported by Qatar? What support have we extended to the UAE and Bahrain in the C-SIPA partnership? What is the current status of the Abraham accords?

To our international partners, we must align our efforts, not just our statements. The Government have hollowed out aid and development budgets to their bare bones, and we have lost leverage. I feel for and genuinely appreciate the efforts of the Development Minister in this regard, but, as the noble Baroness, Lady Ashton, reminded us, development, diplomacy and defence come together; it requires leadership in all three areas.

I close with a simple conviction. Leadership is the art of narrowing the gap between the world as it is and the world as it should be. The hardest day to make peace is always today; tomorrow offers the illusion of easier choices that never arrive. If the Middle East is, as we argue, the cradle of faiths that teach the sanctity of life, the dignity of the stranger, and indeed the possibility of redemption, and if those truths can take root again in policy and action, through ongoing action and investment, and through prayer, then peace becomes a reality.