Oral Answers to Questions

Rosie Cooper Excerpts

Tuesday 20th April 2021 Commons Chamber

[Nicola Richards (West Bromwich East) (Con)]

What diplomatic steps he is taking to support peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

[Rosie Cooper (West Lancashire) (Lab)]

What steps his Department is taking to support the creation of the international fund for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

[Mrs Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall) (Con)]

What diplomatic steps he is taking to support peace between Israel and the Palestinians. [R]

--- Later in debate ---

[James Cleverly]

I thank my hon. Friend for her question. I remind the House that the UK does not fund the textbooks used in Palestinian schools. We understand that the EU review is in its final stages. We are not able to comment on the content of that report until it is released. We regularly engage with the EU at senior level to push for timely publication, and we regularly liaise with the Palestinian Authority to try to bring about the improvements that my hon. Friend has highlighted.

[Rosie Cooper [V]]

It is now five months since the US Congress passed a $250 million Act to create the international fund for Israeli-Palestinian peace, the largest ever investment in peace building. In November, our Ministers promised to examine the feasibility of the UK taking up one of the international seats on the fund’s board. Will the Minister tell us the results of that assessment and confirm that the UK will use the G7 summit to step up and help to lead this exciting new project with the United States?

[James Cleverly]

We always engage positively with any steps that push towards greater peace and reconciliation between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and we have engaged with this process. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said, we are currently going through a programme of work assessing what we will do with our overseas development aid, but we will continue to engage with the Biden Administration, the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority to pursue what has been the long-standing UK goal: a peaceful, prosperous, meaningful two-state solution.