Oral Answers to Questions

Margaret Curran Excerpts

Tuesday 14th June 2011 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Margaret Curran (Glasgow East) (Lab)]

1. What his policy is on UN membership for a Palestinian state.

[Sandra Osborne (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock) (Lab)]

12. What his policy is on UN membership for a Palestinian state.

[The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr William Hague)]

Membership of the UN by September is one option under consideration by President Abbas. We believe that Israelis and Palestinians should return to negotiations. We will make a decision on UN membership only at the appropriate time.

[Margaret Curran]

Time and again, the Secretary of State has said that he is in favour of an independent Palestinian state based on 1967 borders. Surely with events going apace in the middle east, the time is right to show solidarity with the Palestinians, support them at the United Nations and prove, once and for all, that we are on the Palestinian side.

[Mr Hague]

We have lent a great deal of support to Palestinians at the United Nations. For instance, as the hon. Lady will know, in February we voted for the Palestinian resolution on settlements. We voted the opposite way to the United States on that occasion, which is unusual for this country. We strongly support a future state based on 1967 borders, and we welcome President Obama’s recent speech in that regard. We must remember that the way to a viable and secure state is through negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. It is to those negotiations that we want both parties to return.