Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Clarkson Excerpts

Tuesday 12th December 2023 Commons Chamber

[David Linden (Glasgow East) (SNP)]

17. What recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of formally recognising the state of Palestine.

[Chris Clarkson (Heywood and Middleton) (Con)]

20. What steps his Department is taking with international partners to support a two-state solution in Israel and Palestine.

[Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)]

24. Whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of Israel’s campaign against Hamas.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Mitchell]

The Government strongly support the two-state solution. Of course, before these terrible events on 7 October, there were new partnerships with Israel developing across the middle east: one thinks in particular of the Emirates and Bahrain. When there is a break in the clouds and an opportunity for a political track to get going, we will do everything we can to build on the important point that the hon. Member underlined.

[Chris Clarkson]

Notwithstanding the attempted genocide of 7 October and the cynical use of Palestinian civilians as human shields, the single best solution for peace in the region is a two-state solution. What steps are the Government taking to facilitate that? Does my right hon. Friend agree that the kidnappers, murderers and rapists of Hamas cannot be involved in those negotiations?

[Mr Mitchell]

Yes. We certainly agree with the United States that Gaza should be under Palestinian control in due course and that there is no place for Hamas in all of that. In respect of my hon. Friend’s point about how we advance towards a two-state solution, he will know that the Foreign Secretary has been both in Tel Aviv and on the west bank in Ramallah, and we are looking to see what Britain can do to help build the capacity of the Palestinian state in the future, and to bolster it.