Gaza Flotilla

Lord Janner of Braunstone Excerpts

Wednesday 2nd June 2010 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Falkner of Margravine]

My Lords—

[Lord Janner of Braunstone]

My Lords—

[Baroness Anelay of St Johns]

My Lords, I think the House wants to hear from the noble Lord.

[Lord Janner of Braunstone]

I thank the noble Baroness for that. I join in expressing deep sorrow at the awful sadness that this event has created on all sides. It is very tragic. The question now is: how do we get a peace programme that helps ordinary people and isolates extremists? I suggest that our Government should join the quartet and host a conference in London with the Israelis to discuss the easing of restrictions on goods to be allowed into Gaza. I trust the noble Lord will agree with me that neither Israel nor the international community should engage with Hamas in any way until it renounces violence and accepts Israel’s right to exist.

[Lord Howell of Guildford]

I understand the noble Lord’s expertise and the way he fights for what he believes to be the right causes in this difficult and tragic area. However, I have already made clear at the Dispatch Box the Government’s views about talks with Hamas. I do not have anything to add to that.