Peter
Soulsby (Leicester South, Lab)
When he (Jack Straw) last met representatives of
the Palestinian Authority to discuss progress on the Middle
East peace settlement.
In his initial response to the question, the Foreign Secretary
indicated that this is indeed a unique opportunity to move
forwards in the middle east and to move towards a two-state
solution that protects the interests of the Israeli Government
while securing justice for the Palestinians, but in his response
to the supplementary he dealt with one of the issues that
threatens that progress.
I hope that he can assure us that he will press the Israeli
Government to cease the construction of their separation barrier
and to cease the mass arrests, because both those things threaten
the continuation of the process and also give succour to the
militants, who could so easily undermine the success of that
process.
Will he press the Israeli Government to desist on both fronts?
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Jack
Straw (Secretary of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office)
As I have explained, we have already made, and will
continue to make, strong representations to the Government
of Israel about the building of settlements other than on
Israeli land and the siting of the route of the separation
barrier, again other than on Israeli land.
On arrests, I simply say to my hon.
Friend that in recent weeks some hundreds of prisoners have
been released by the Israeli Government as part of the steps
that they have taken, in co-operation with the Palestinian
Authority, to rebuild better confidence between the two sides
and, not least, to improve collaboration when Israel starts
to withdraw from Gaza on 16 August.
I also say to my hon. Friend that
it is important that we should not be rosy-eyed about the
terrorists—Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah—who
are continuing to commit violence not only against Israeli
civilians and Israeli forces but, in doing so, against the
Palestinian moderates who wish to see a peaceful solution
to the conflict that has continued there for nigh on 60 years.
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