Middle East: Refugees

Baroness Falkner of Margravine Excerpts

Wednesday 3rd November 2010 Lords Chamber

[Lord Wallace of Saltaire]

My Lords, the Government agree entirely. We very much hope that the current negotiations will continue to make progress and we would be deeply disturbed if they were to break down.

[Baroness Falkner of Margravine]

My Lords, is my noble friend aware that organisations such as the World Zionist Organisation have had campaigns to encourage British Jews to move to Israel and the Occupied Territories of Palestine? What discussions are the British Government having with the Israeli Government, because many of these people risk contravening international law—the International Criminal Court Act 2001 and other protocols—by settling in the Occupied Territories?

[Lord Wallace of Saltaire]

My Lords, Her Majesty’s Government have made it perfectly clear that we are in favour of a two-state solution and that this two-state solution rests on the establishment of a viable Palestinian state. That means that a number of the settlements currently taking place on occupied territory will have to be removed.