Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of comments by the Prime Minister of Israel in an interview with The New York Times, published on 24 August, that he will oppose the creation of a Palestinian state and expand Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The UK remains committed to making progress towards a two-state solution. Our position on settlements is clear: they are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. We urge the Government of Israel to cease its policies related to settlement expansion immediately, and instead work towards the establishment of a Palestinian state along 1967 lines, with its capital in East Jerusalem. We also call bilaterally and in international fora, for Israel to provide a clear, transparent route to construction for Palestinians in Area C.