Balfour Declaration Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Lord Hughes of Woodside
Main Page: Lord Hughes of Woodside (Labour - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Lord Hughes of Woodside's debates with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
(7 years, 8 months ago)
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Baroness Anelay of St Johns
My Lords, the right reverend Prelate raises a vital issue. Announcements such as the one made last Friday by the Israeli Government about building a new settlement in the West Bank—the first such government decision there for over 25 years—make one worried that it is becoming more difficult for negotiations that could lead to a two-state solution, and it is necessary to ensure that they do not proceed with such settlements.
Baroness Northover (LD)
My Lords, the Minister referred to the Balfour Declaration, which says that nothing should be done,
“which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine”,
and I welcome that. However, with the tinderbox in the Middle East, is it not even more urgent than ever that the future of Israel and the Palestinians is taken forward, and does that not mean reversing rather than expanding the settlements?