Palestine and the United Nations

Bob Blackman Excerpts
Thursday 15th September 2011

(13 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Alistair Burt Portrait Alistair Burt
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No. What I am actually about is what I said.

Bob Blackman Portrait Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)
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I welcome my hon. Friend’s statement and the words that he used. Personally, I strongly believe that there need to be negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians and that at the end of that process the state of Palestine should be recognised. May I therefore urge him to join the United States in the Security Council in vetoing the premature creation of a Palestinian state and also in the General Assembly in voting against such a proposal, but to make it clear that at the end of negotiations, when matters are satisfactorily resolved, we would universally recognise the Palestinian state?

Alistair Burt Portrait Alistair Burt
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My hon. Friend tempts me again to take a position on a hypothetical situation. Let me say again that I cannot go into that until we see a resolution. I stick to the position that I have taken, which is the belief that the United Kingdom must ensure that whatever is tabled next week and whatever gets through the United Nations leads to a proper approach to negotiations in which both sides can feel confident of some movement.