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Conservative peers CFI Honorary President Lord Polak CBE and Lord Grade of Yarmouth this week voiced support of Israel and condemned Palestinian intransigence to peace.
Speaking in the House of Lords, Lord Polak said that some peers failed to “comprehend the winds of change in the region”, as seen in the Abraham Accords and a joint NATO drill this week which included Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and the UAE, alongside Israel.
He asked the Minister whether he agreed that “that the most helpful contribution towards peace and prosperity would be for noble Lords to use their influence with the Palestinians to urge them to sit around the table with the Israelis and create that peace and prosperity?” FCDO Minister Lord Ahmad welcomed the Abraham Accords in his response and emphasised “Israel and the Palestinian Authority need to sit down and agree a way forward and progress”.
Lord Grade asked: “Does the Minister agree that our Government cannot consider recognising a territory while it is controlled by proscribed terrorists whose only stated purpose is to wipe their neighbour Israel off the face of the earth, no matter what the cost to their own people?” Lord Ahmad replied that if Hamas “wants to be a party to peace, it needs to ensure that that recognition is extended”, adding that the UK Government “do not engage with Hamas”.
